Joshua Choice II
by emmettroselover
Summary: Sequel to Consequences VI: Shopping, sightseeing, and of course...avalanches! The family is enjoying their extended time in Italy, but will a mysterious vampire with an even more mysterious power ruin their vacation? Rosalie/Emmett, Edward/Bella, Carlisle/Esme, Alice/Jasper, Renesmee/Nahuel, Jacob/Leah, Zach, Josh, Seth, the Denalis, and more!
1. Chapter 1

AN: It is February 2016! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. I also can't believe that this story is the 27th story in the Choice Series. I am amazed by how many people have read these stories, continue to read these stories, and want more of these stories. Thank you to everyone out there still following along and for all of the reviews. I hope you continue to give me feedback about the stories because it really does help. What do you like? What do you want more of in the series? What characters are you mainly interested in? Sorry it has taken me a few months to get this one out there, but hopefully it is worth the wait. Here is Joshua's Choice II, read, review, and of course, enjoy!

Chapter 1

Carlisle smiled smugly at Marcus as he watched him try to figure out a move to successfully escape the trap Carlisle set his king up for in their chess game. The two of them were relaxing in the study of Marcus's mansion on Isola Marcime while the rest of Carlisle's family enjoyed their time in Italy. Marcus gave the chess board one last scan before knocking down his king in defeat.

"You have gotten better at this," said Marcus and Carlisle chuckled.

"I get plenty of practice between all the members of my family. Zach enjoys playing now as well."

"Your family is quite impressive. The more time I spend with all of you, the more I see just how close you are. Aro only saw your family as chess pieces, leaving you as the king, but you are so much more than that. I am proud to be considered a friend to all of you."

"You are a wonderful friend to us as well. Thank you for allowing us and the Denalis to stay on the island for a bit longer. I hope we are not overstaying our welcome." Marcus waved him off.

"It has barely been a week, Carlisle. Stay as long as you like. Didyme and I love the company."

"I am surprised that you are still here and not back in Volterra by now."

"Didyme prefers it here and so do I. It is much more peaceful," informed Marcus as he looked out the window. He smiled when he saw his mate parking her yacht by the dock.

"It looks like our wives are back and with more shopping bags," said Marcus.

"This is their third trip this week. How many more clothes can they buy," asked Carlisle.

"I believe this trip was for your children and grandchildren."

"Aw yes, my wife loves to dote over the kids, especially her grandchildren. Most of those clothes are probably for Allie. Esme wants to make sure she feels welcomed as the newest addition to the family."

"And what an addition she is, your family never ceases to amaze me. I was in awe after Bella and Renesmee joined, but with Zach and now Allie, it seems you continue to outdo yourself. She is quite a remarkable newborn. I have never seen anything like it. If not for her red eyes, I would think she had been around for years."

"I didn't think it was possible, but she is quite astonishing. She still has some newborn tendencies, like her thirst and temper, but she manages them both quite well. Come, let us help our mates with their bags," suggested Carlisle as he stood up and Marcus followed him outside to greet their mates. Carlisle chuckled when he saw the amount of bags Esme had and she winked at him.

"With all the hunting Allie does, she is going to need more clothes," defended Esme and Carlisle kissed her tenderly.

"Who am I to disagree with you, my love? I did miss you today," greeted Carlisle. Marcus kissed his wife and grabbed her bags, but suddenly his phone rang. He sighed when he saw who it was.

"We must take this. It is Alexander. We are due for an update," said Marcus.

"Tomorrow we should go to the jewelry store we passed, Esme. Shopping with you is quite fun and I look forward to another trip. Excuse us," said Didyme before departing with Marcus. Carlisle followed his mate to their villa and she giggled as he tossed the bags on the couch and pulled her into his arms.

"I have missed you," he whispered in her ear.

"I have missed you as well. The kids are off hunting, Renesmee, Nahuel, Kaya, and Seth are having dinner with Roman and Iris, Jacob and Leah are seeing a show in Porto Rotondo, and Zach, Allie, and Josh will not be back until later tonight," she informed and he smiled.

"Then how about we enjoy our quiet time," he suggested and she happily nodded.

Allie smiled as she peered out at the otherworldly view of Lake Geneva and the mountains in the distance. She was still amazed at how clearly she could see as a vampire and loved being able to experience life through brand new eyes. The light bounced off the water and the moon hung high as the sound of the city and music swirled around her. After spending two nights in Rome with Zach and Josh, the trio headed to Switzerland for more sightseeing. They enjoyed running through the mountains that lined the border of Italy and Switzerland and found themselves in Geneva by nightfall. The Monte Cristo was the liveliest club in the city and the view from the rooftop dance floor was stunning. Zach wrapped his arms around his mate and she leaned into his embrace as he nuzzled her neck.

"Having fun," he asked and she happily nodded as she turned to face him with a bright smile.

"How could I not? Yesterday, I was in Rome. Today, I got to run through the mountains, shop in Geneva, and am dancing the night away with you. This cannot be my life," she giggled.

"It is, nayeli. I am just happy my parents decided to give us more freedom so we could go off on our own for a while. Thanks for letting Josh tag along with us. I know you and I had plans of traveling Europe alone, but we can save that for the honeymoon."

"I am having a lot of fun. I thought Josh would be too busy sulking over Callista to enjoy himself, but he seems to be embracing his status as an eligible bachelor," said Allie as she glanced back at the dance floor. Zach chuckled and nodded as he watched Josh dance with three women.

"He is definitely having a good time. We should get going soon though. We promised my parents we would spend our last days in Italy with them. We can hunt on the way back. There isn't much on Mont Blanc, but we should find something as we head south."

"Don't worry about me. The hunt after we left Rome was great. Do you think we are going to be able to pry Josh away?"

"We should be able to. I think the humans are getting a bit too handsy for him," teased Zach and Allie laughed as they made their way through the crowd. Josh jumped as one of the women pinched his backside and fell into his arms. The alcohol on her breath made him cringe.

"Okay, ladies, I hate to love and leave you, but I must. Have a good night," he called over the loud music as he stepped away from the crowd of women. They started to hand their phone numbers to him, but he shook his head and smiled politely.

"It has been a blast, but I am heading back to America soon. Thanks, bye," he called again. One of the women grabbed his hand and rubbed her body against his seductively. His eyes widened as her hand ran down his body.

"Then let me send you off properly," she whispered in his ear and he gulped.

"Al, a little help," he whispered as Allie and Zach made their way over to him. Allie rolled her eyes, but decided to appease him. She grabbed Josh's other hand and pulled him over to her. The woman turned to protest, but was silent as Allie arched a challenging eyebrow at her. The brown contacts shielded humans from her red, newborn eyes, but her glare was still quite intimidating to the humans around them.

"He is with me," she called over the music and the woman immediately let go of Josh. He sighed in relief and waved goodbye to the women.

"Thanks for the dance," he chuckled and followed Allie and Zach out of the club. Josh sighed in relief when they made it down to the street and started walking toward the outskirts of the city.

"Thanks, Al. Z, you were so right about human girls," said Josh and Allie quirked an eyebrow at her mate.

"What exactly did you say about human girls," she questioned and Zach laughed nervously.

"Well, of course besides you, nayeli, a lot of human girls tend to lack subtlety and maturity in my experiences with them. Take Courtney, for example, you didn't exactly love the way she interacted with me," he defended and Allie let out a low hiss as she thought about the human girl from his high school.

"Yes, Courtney, the ugly scarf giver, she certainly could not take a hint," agreed Allie.

"You should have seen her when they first met. She was all over him," laughed Josh and Allie stopped in her tracks.

"Really," she asked and Zach covered Josh's mouth.

"He is exaggerating, nayeli. Besides, it is in the past. You and I found each other and that is all that matters. So J, you seemed to be enjoying the human girls until it was time to leave."

"Yea, but that was just for fun, you know? I am kind of tired of all the superficial stuff and dating can be exhausting. I mean look at my track record, Callista, Nina…."

"Tesla," added Allie and Zach guffawed.

"You can't add, Tess. They never dated and they aren't even into each other, right, J," said Zach, but his eyes widened when Josh was silent. Allie smiled knowingly at Josh.

"You seemed quite cozy with her at Sofi and Caleb's wedding and she didn't seem to mind it," said Allie and Josh blushed.

"She didn't, right? I am not crazy. She did like dancing with me and she laughed at my jokes…." Zach stepped in front of both of them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you cannot be serious right now! Tess is….well she is….Tess! You can't date Tess," exclaimed Zach and Allie eyed him curiously.

"Why can't he? Unless of course, you think she should be off limits because of your past with her. What past was that again," challenged Allie and Zach gulped.

"There isn't a past," he defended.

"There was a kiss….and all the gifts….and coming to your defense at the summit….plus, coming to help with me and Callista…." listed Josh and Zach huffed.

"You aren't helping, Josh," warned Zach and Josh shrugged.

"Well now I am curious. Is she off limits to me? Am I breaking bro code if I date her," questioned Josh as he crossed his arms.

"Yea, is he," questioned Allie as she crossed her arms as well. Zach glanced back and forth at the two of them as they waited for his answer. He racked his mind for an answer and waved them off.

"Of course not, I just don't see the point, you haven't imprinted on her and…."

"What if I don't imprint? What if my true love isn't supposed to be someone I imprint on, just like it wasn't for my parents," asked Josh and Zach groaned.

"I don't want to have this conversation anymore. Wolfy genes are too complicated. Why can't you just find someone and know, like with vampires? I knew right away. Allie knew right away. That's it, no weird stipulations or loopholes. All I know is that you need to be careful with Tess," said Zach.

"Why, because you don't want him with her," asked Allie and Zach rolled his eyes.

"No….I mean yes, but not for the reasons you think. Okay, sure, it would be weird because she was my first crush, but also because Tess is complicated. We talked about her finding her mate and she doesn't want that. J, you need someone that can be everything you want and more. I don't think that is Tess. She is great, but not exactly one true love material, at least not for you. I hope she does find her mate someday though," explained Zach and Josh slowly nodded.

"I know what you mean. My mom would have a heart attack if I dated Tess and so would Rose…."

"And my grandma," reminded Zach.

"But it would be exciting," said Josh with a sly smile and Zach shook his head with a chuckle.

"So is playing with fire, but it doesn't mean you should do it," warned Zach.

"Keegan does it all the time," teased Josh. Allie glanced down at her watch and pointed toward a dark road ahead of them.

"We should head back. If we want to run, we should follow that road toward the mountains. No one is around, Josh. You should phase," she informed. He looked down at his designer clothes and pushed out his bottom lip in a pout.

"This is Gucci," he informed and she rolled her eyes.

"You have plenty of clothes and why didn't you bring a backpack, like usual," she scolded.

"Well excuse me for not knowing we were going to stop in Switzerland. I gave my backpack to Alice and Jasper to take back in the jet to Italy. You said all we were going to do was hunt, so really this is all your fault," argued Josh and Allie scoffed.

"You were the one that wanted to shop for new clothes and go to the club! You should have known you were going to need to change out of them at some point and bought a backpack," argued Allie.

"Why can't you just hold my clothes for me," wailed Josh and Allie huffed.

"Because I am not your maid!" Zach stepped in between them.

"Okay you two, enough, wow, it only took you two hours to start arguing again. That has to be some kind of record," teased Zach and they both rolled their eyes.

"She started it," grumbled Josh and Allie smirked.

"At least I can keep my clothes on when I run," she taunted and Zach pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look, we don't have time for this if we want to have some fun on the way back. J, go change in the alley and I will hold your clothes," appeased Zach and Josh smiled smugly.

"Thank you, Z. You are a great friend, always supportive," said Josh before jogging away and Allie shook her head.

"You coddle the boy," she mumbled and Zach pulled her into his arms with a dimpled grin.

"And you enjoy teasing him and me apparently, really, you think you have a reason to be jealous of Tess," he challenged and she giggled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Okay, so maybe I enjoyed watching you squirm a bit. I know you love me and I also know that you had an innocent crush on Tess a long time ago."

"Yea, who cares if she was the first woman I ever thought about mating with," he said before jogging toward the alley.

"Right….wait, what…" she shrieked and ran after him. He laughed as she jumped onto his back and he carried her into the alley. He winked at her and grabbed Josh's clothes, which were neatly folded on top of a wooden box in the alley. Josh galloped over to them in wolf form and Allie shook her head in amusement at him.

"You are way too into your clothes, Josh," she teased as Zach slid the clothes underneath his leather jacket and zipped it up.

"If you are just now learning this about him, nayeli, you are in for a long existence. I have a feeling this is something he will not outgrow. My Aunt Alice certainly hasn't," laughed Zach. Allie winked at him and playfully nudged Josh as the three of them headed down the alley. The farther away they ran from the city, the darker the night sky was as the city lights dimmed behind them.

It did not take them long to reach Mont Blanc on the border of Switzerland and Italy and the three of them darted up the side of the mountain. Allie stopped as they reached the top of the highest peak and gazed out at the picturesque landscape of Italy. Zach and Josh stopped as well and Zach winked at his best friend.

"We will catch up with you in a minute," he assured and Josh gave a nod before galloping down the other side of the mountain. Zach wrapped his mate in his arms and looked out at the landscape with a serene smile.

"It is beautiful up here, isn't it," he asked and she nodded.

"Sorry I stopped. I am still not used to this. It still doesn't seem real to me. Leaving Stanford was the hardest decision I ever made, but this is worth it. At the time, I was so scared and I didn't really know what to say to people about it. How do you tell your parents you are leaving an amazing opportunity behind because you have a feeling like something better is going to come along? If I would have known back then, what I would have right now, I wouldn't have been scared," she explained as she rested in his arms. He turned her toward him and gazed into her eyes.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I had no clue you were even a possibility. I knew I would find my mate, but I never knew she would be as amazing as you are. A year ago, I was obsessing about if I was prepared enough to be in high school with Josh. I would have never imagined I would be here with you right now. I love you, Allie."

"I love you too. Now how about I race you to the end of the mountain? I will even let you cheat by using your powers."

"Oh yea and why would you do that? It wouldn't even be a competition," he taunted and she smirked as she played with the curls at the nape of his neck. He leaned into her touch as his eyes slid shut.

"Because I plan on cheating too," she whispered into his ear. His eyes darted open and she giggled as she pushed him backward. He tumbled down the backside of the mountain and she blew him a kiss.

"See you on the other side, Cullen," she called before leaping forward. She ran as fast as she could and laughed when she looked back and could see Zach reach the top of the peak again. She winked at him and he smirked before using his force field to blast down the mountain. The sonic boom shook the mountains and surrounding area as several avalanches erupted.

"Avalanche," shouted Allie as she saw Josh in front of her. She managed to catch up with the wolf as the ground beneath their feet quaked. They tumbled the rest of the way down the mountain and landed at the bottom with a thud. Zach was right behind them and Allie's eyes widened as the snow and rocks barreled toward the three of them. Zach used his force field to halt the debris and the three of them looked on as it settled in mounds of snow and rock in front of them. The ground slowly stopped shaking and Josh's massive wolf form snickered and shook out his fur. Allie smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, that one is on me. I still won though," she said smugly before kissing her mate and he shook his head in amusement. He pointed to the sign behind them and chuckled. " _Danger Avalanche Area_ , oops," read Zach and the three of them laughed hysterically as they made it to their feet. Allie kissed Zach again.

"It is nice to know that I can beat you," she teased and he smirked.

"You barely beat me and seducing me shouldn't count. That is just a low blow," he whined.

"I will make it up to you later," she teased with a wink and he nodded happily.

"Alright, let's get back to the villas," he bellowed and she laughed as the three of them ran through the countryside of Italy.

Rosalie sighed happily as she and Emmett floated in the water by the shore of Isola Marcime. She spent the past couple of days indulging in the peace and quiet the island had when Zach, Allie, and Josh were in Rome. Emmett swam over to her and she giggled as he peppered kisses along her neck.

"The kids will be back tonight, but I think we have a few hours," he whispered to her and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Whatever could we do with all that time," she teased before kissing him. Before they could get lost in each other, their passionate moment was interrupted by a shout from the shore.

"Alright you two, put some clothes on, and head to the villa," called Leah as she stood by Jacob on the shore, both with their hands over their eyes. Emmett let out a growl of frustration and Rosalie groaned.

"The kids aren't back yet. Go take Jake for a walk or something," called Rosalie. Jacob smirked.

"They aren't back, but already causing trouble," informed Jacob.

"End of the world trouble, Volturi trouble, or just parent trouble," asked Emmett.

"Could have been Volturi trouble, but just parent trouble," answered Leah and Rosalie groaned.

"Let them have their fun, he says. Zach and Allie are practically married, he says. This is why they can't be trusted to go off on their own, Em," grumbled Rosalie as she and Emmett swam back to the shore and he chuckled.

"If that is the standard, then most of this family can't be trusted. I am sure it is nothing. It is nothing…right," asked Emmett as he and Rosalie made it to land. Jacob and Leah glanced at each other and sighed.

By the time Zach, Allie, and Josh made it back to the island, Josh was exhausted. He put back on his clothes and yawned as he joined Zach and Allie by the courtyard leading to the villas.

"I think we made good time, an hour before dawn breaks," said Allie and Josh groaned.

"I have to get some friends that sleep. I haven't slept in four days," he whined and Zach smirked.

"You used to be able to go longer than that. You are getting old, J," teased Zach.

"Whatever, I need food, a shower, and then 24 hours of sleep," said Josh as the three of them entered his villa. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, and Leah standing in the living room. Josh groaned, Zach put his head down in defeat, and Allie gulped.

"I am never going to sleep am I," whispered Josh and Leah smirked.

"Oh you will get plenty of sleep, son, because you will be grounded," she announced and Josh huffed.

"I didn't even do anything," he argued and Jacob turned on the television. Josh rubbed the back of his neck nervously as the news reporter spoke.

"With summer raising temperatures on Mont Blanc, the mountain can be quite volatile with avalanches and melting snow. However, this occurrence is the first in the area since 1975. Thanks to warnings and preventative measures in place on the mountain, no one was harmed. All tourists and hikers are advised to steer clear of the area for the next months in case more avalanches form. Now let's go to Geneva, Switzerland where residents could hear the rumbling from….." Jacob turned the television off and Josh thought for a moment.

"Wait, before you say anything, Uncle Seth got me the perfect thing for this. One second," he said before running into his room. He came back with a small device and Allie frowned in confusion.

"What is that," she asked as he shook it.

"Oh this thing is great. It is called the excuse generator. Uncle Seth got it for me for Christmas," said Josh and Zach pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That thing is not going to work, J, so just…."

"Wait, okay here it is. I am sorry to hear that happened, but I was at a family barbecue. I am sure whoever did this is sorry. Can I get you something to drink," read Josh. Emmett and Jacob snickered, but Leah was not as amused.

"Are you drunk," asked Leah as she marched over to her son and checked his eyes.

"No, but I am ridiculously tired and in my defense, for the first time in a very long time I can actually say I didn't do it. I was running along, minding my own business. I am not going to name any names but it wasn't me. For once, I am clear," he said and tossed the device to Zach.

"What am I going to do with this," asked Zach and Josh shrugged.

"I would put it again and hope that something better pops up. I would also amend it to make it more vampire-friendly. For example, can I take you on a hunt instead of get you something to drink or….."

"Go to bed, J," said Zach and Josh nodded.

"Showering and then going to bed, goodnight all," said Josh before yawning and heading to the bathroom. Leah and Jacob frowned in confusion.

"Wait, so it wasn't Josh and Zach who created the avalanche," asked Leah. Rosalie circled Allie and Zach as she shook her head.

"No, but you got one of the usual suspects right," said Rosalie. Allie groaned.

"In my defense, I was trying to win a competition," said Allie and Emmett nodded appreciatively.

"Good defense," said Emmett and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"We tried to let the two of you have some freedom and this is what you do? What if there were hikers on the mountain," asked Rosalie and Zach sighed.

"Mom, we didn't see any, so…."

"Which makes you lucky, not right, you two have to be careful. I know you want to be alone and spend time as mates, but that means being responsible and not making breaking news," scolded Rosalie and Allie nodded.

"You are right. No more massive avalanches for us, unless we are in Alaska and far away from humans. I am sorry, Rose," apologized Allie.

"Yea, mom, I am sorry too and…." Zach shook the device and read it.

"….And we will think about the consequences of our actions. Can we make you a drink? Is that the only thing this thing can say? Where did Seth get this from," grumbled Zach as he tossed the device on the couch. Rosalie tried not to laugh at her son's outburst, but Emmett did. He clapped his son on the back.

"Don't worry, your mother and I have caused a few disasters in our time. Most of them were cabins after a night of…."

"Dad," shrieked Zach as he covered his ears and Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I love my mate's sense of humor. I love my mate's sense of humor," she chanted to herself and Emmett shook with mirth.

"You two are too easy to tease. We are glad you three made it back. Allie, any problems being around the humans," asked Emmett.

"I was aware of their blood a bit more than I thought I would be, but no. I was okay," assured Allie and Emmett smiled proudly at her.

"You are an impressive newborn. That's for sure. I always knew my baby boy's mate would be a badass and you don't disappoint," commended Emmett and Allie hugged him.

"Thanks, so have any of you heard from my parents? I have been meaning to call them, but I got a bit distracted," admitted Allie. They sat down in the living room and Leah nodded.

"Sam called to check up on you. They wanted to know when the family was heading back to the island. I think your mother wants to come for a visit," informed Leah.

"That would be great," said Allie.

"Maybe the pack could come too," suggested Zach.

"That would be a lot of people wanting your attention. I am used to sharing you with Josh, but the pack too? I may be dealing with being a newborn well, but the mate in me still wants as much of your time as I can get. I am enjoying it too much," she informed and Zach tenderly kissed her. Rosalie averted her eyes as they shared their intimate moment. Zach smiled at his mate and kissed the top of her head before returning his attention to his parents, Jake, and Leah.

"So, what have you four been up to while we were away," asked Zach. Leah and Jake blushed and Rosalie and Emmett glanced at each other.

"Hunting," stated Rosalie and Emmett smiled cheekily.

"A whole lot of hunting," added Emmett and Zach groaned.

"Dad, why do you have to say it like that," whined Zach and Emmett chuckled.

"Oh come on, baby boy, you have a mate now so you know…." Rosalie slapped the back of Emmett's head before he could continue and Zach smiled at his mother.

"Thank you," said Zach as Emmett snickered.

"Just know that we have all enjoyed our downtime," assured Rosalie. Jasper, Alice, Edward, and Bella entered the villa and Rosalie immediately stood up, sensing their concern.

"What is wrong," asked Rosalie and Edward ran a hand through his unruly, bronze hair.

"The Volturi need our help," announced Edward.

"All of our help," added Alice as she glanced at Allie and Rosalie frowned in confusion.

"They have an entire group of guards with talents, what could we possibly help them with," asked Rosalie and Jasper nodded in agreement.

"That's what I said. The rest of the vampire world may think we are the most powerful coven and I suppose technically we are, but Marcus and Didyme have silently gathered new guards over the years that are pretty impressive. Alexander was telling me about some of them. The threat must be pretty big for them to need our help, especially when it does not have anything to do with our territory," said Jasper. Alice groaned as she rubbed her temples.

"I have a feeling it is very big," said Alice and Emmett eyed her cautiously.

"Just a feeling, not a vision," he questioned and Alice sighed.

"Exactly, Em, not a vision, which means I am being blocked….again. Asa said that if I was ever blocked in the future, it would not be her, which means she knew I would be blocked again," stated Alice and Bella smiled comfortingly at her sister.

"I am sure it is only temporary," assured Bella.

"Oh I know it is. I can see all of us and I saw Zach, Allie, and Josh in Switzerland, but the moment we decided to help the Volturi, everything disappeared," informed Alice.

"Carlisle, Esme, and the others are already prepping the jet. It will only take fifteen minutes to get to Volterra. Everyone should pack and be prepared to be there for a few days," said Jasper and Zach's eyes widened.

"Wait, Volterra, this must be pretty serious if it can't be handled from the mansion here," said Zach. Alexander and Lena nodded as they entered the villa.

"It is of the utmost importance and we would appreciate your help. Connell and Tia are bringing back some guards and running surveillance for us at the moment, so your jet and ours will have to do for transportation. We leave in ten minutes," announced Alexander as Josh walked out of his bedroom wearing his black, designer pajama pants and a green shirt. He dried his hair with a towel and waved at everyone as he yawned.

"What's going on? It was just an avalanche," he said in greeting and Lena quirked an eyebrow at him.

"That was you on Mont Blanc," she asked and his eyes widened. Zach rolled his eyes at his friend.

"You just couldn't go to sleep, could you," he groaned and Josh smiled sheepishly at him. Alexander smiled at Josh.

"While we wish it was as simple and light hearted as that, everyone is needed in Volterra. You should pack some clothes," said Alexander and Josh scrubbed his face with his hands.

"Nope, never going to sleep again apparently, at least I got a shower. Alright, what's the threat now, Alexander? A summit, vampires selling yet another mythical potion, oh wait, Aro had more offspring than we thought, right, am I right," asked Josh and Leah giggled at her son.

"Go get dressed. I will make you some coffee to drink on the way to Volterra," said Leah and Jacob chuckled.

"Just what we need, him to be caffeinated," teased Jacob as he ruffled his son's hair.

"We will all be ready in ten minutes," assured Edward and Alexander bowed graciously to them before exiting the villa.

Marcus's eyes were trained on the screens in the surveillance room inside the Volturi Castle in Volterra. All of his guards were hard at work and he was relieved that Didyme was keeping the room relaxed, but focused. Roman, Iris, and Leonardo entered the room and Leonardo handed Marcus a device with coordinates on a global map.

"We are secure in Asia, Australia, and Africa. We are working on South America as we speak," informed Leonardo and Marcus gave a nod.

"Good, all cases remain open and missions are still a go. This changes nothing," stated Marcus.

"But this threat could affect the entire world, is it wise to let other missions distract us," questioned Roman.

"We cannot put all of our resources into one thing and allow the rest of the world to crumble. There are many evils in it and we must keep them at bay. Besides, the vampire world sleeps for no one and if rebellious vampires believe we are not keeping an eye on them because we are distracted, we could have an even bigger problem on our hands," explained Marcus.

"Sire, the Cullens and Denalis are in our air space. They should land within the minute with Alexander and Lena," announced one of the guards and Marcus sighed in relief.

"Our reinforcements have arrived, another reason not to back away from the rest of our missions. The Cullens and Denalis should be able to help," said Marcus.

"What if they can't," asked Roman and Marcus gulped.

"Then, we may have quite the problem," admitted Marcus. Suddenly, a wave of happiness engulfed him as Didyme hugged her mate. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"Even when this job becomes too stressful, you manage to make it all worth it. I am lucky to have you," said Marcus.

"It will be okay," she assured. Connell and Tia appeared with one of the guards. The vampire blinked several times as he became acclimated with his surroundings again.

"Is the ringing in my ear ever going to stop," asked the guard and Connell smirked.

"You must be running pretty thin at guards, Marcus. I would have never pegged this one for a member of the Volturi," said Connell as the guard opened and shut his jaw several times.

"Gavin is new, but useful," said Marcus.

"And young, quite young," quipped Connell.

"I am fifty two," said Gavin and Connell waved him off.

"Merely a baby," assured Connell to which Gavin rolled his eyes. The Cullens and Denalis entered the surveillance room with Alexander and Lena. Roman and Iris greeted their siblings as the large group gathered.

"Where are Sofi and Caleb," asked Kaya.

"Still on their honeymoon," informed Roman.

"And that is where they will stay, we can do this without them and they deserve their time alone together," said Iris as she gave Roman a warning glare. He huffed.

"I don't understand why we can't just call them and let them make their own decision about it. If it was me, I would want to know," argued Roman.

"Well, they are not you," defended Iris and Marcus chuckled at their bickering.

"While this is important, there is no reason to interrupt the happiness of the newlyweds. Cullens, Denalis, thank you for coming. There appears to be a threat out there that could endanger all of us if we are not careful," informed Marcus as he shook hands with Carlisle and Tanya.

"What kind of threat," asked Carlisle and Edward spoke up as he read the thoughts of everyone in the room.

"One that can block Alice, go undetected by the Volturi's surveillance systems, evade their guards, gain access to any system, and may or may not have access to codes that can detonate nuclear warheads all over the world," answered Edward and Emmett let out a low whistle.

"Is it just me or are the bad guys getting crazier as we get older? Whatever happened to newborn armies and wars over territory? I miss the good ole' days," said Emmett.

"We are in the Technological Age now, my friends. There are fixed placements on human advancement. They will never be stronger than us or faster, but there is much they can do, which includes wiping each other off the face of the earth," informed Marcus and Allie frowned in confusion.

"Each other, but what about us, if a nuclear war broke out, could vampires survive it," questioned Allie.

"We are not sure if we could survive the blast or not, but it would not be an event we would want to survive. During World War II, there were vampires that survived the bombings in Japan, but the warheads are stronger now. Even if we survived, the bombs would obliterate the humans, animals, and nature all around. With no food source left for us, it would be a fate worse than dying in the explosions," explained Marcus.

"Even if vampires can survive something like that, our kind cannot. Everyone in La Push, Josh, Jake, me, we would be gone," reminded Leah and Josh took in a shaky breath.

"Well isn't that terrifying, finding my mate has officially become the least of my worries," grumbled Josh and Zach smiled encouragingly at his friend.

"You are going to have plenty of time to find your mate. No one is going to die. We have plenty of resources and some of the most powerful minds and abilities in the world are in this room. We can use trackers, technology, Connell, and anything else we need in order to find this thing. Now, has anyone seen what it looks like and what it can do," questioned Zach as he stood beside Marcus. Alexander and Lena eyed him curiously and Didyme giggled. In that moment, Zach did not look like a teenage vampire, he looked like a leader. Rosalie and Emmett tried to hide their smiles at their son's natural instinct to take over in a dire situation and Carlisle smiled proudly at his grandson, realizing for the first time just how true Merek's prophecy was. Marcus wrapped an arm around Zach and chuckled.

"I couldn't have said it better myself. Josh, you have nothing to fear. We are going to figure this out and for starters, let's see what new intel we have. Gavin, how about you show Connell why you are a pivotal part of the Guard," suggested Marcus and Gavin grinned from ear to ear. He glanced over at Connell and smirked.

"You might want to step back, old man," said Gavin and Connell crossed his arms, but did as Gavin said. Everyone took steps back as blue, electric light accumulated in Gavin's hands. His eyes filled with the light and he smiled as he glanced over at Connell.

"Pretty cool, huh," said Gavin and before Connell could answer, the light surged into the computers and screens in the room.

"What the bloody hell is he doing," asked Connell and Lena smiled at Connell's shocked expression.

"In Gavin's human life, he was one of the most feared hackers in the world. Let's just say, as a vampire, his gifts are heightened," whispered Lena. Images, videos, and documents appeared on screens around the room and Gavin sighed in relief as the light dissipated.

"About time, we got something on this creature. There was nothing on the internet or the cloud, even I was starting to get worried, but they slipped up. I recovered this from a U.S. satellite before the humans could see it. We are lucky too or all things supernatural would have been exposed. Sir, you are going to want to see this," informed Gavin as he played a video on the main screen.

A blonde woman in a military uniform walked down a hallway past three armed guards. She smiled as she did and walked over to a sealed door around the corner. She punched in a code and looked down at a device in her hand before looking around. Suddenly, she morphed into a large man dressed in formal attire and Eleazar stepped closer to the screen.

"A shapeshifter," he whispered in shock and Seth frowned in confusion.

"Like us," he questioned, but Eleazar shook his head.

"No, I have not seen one like this in centuries. Quileutes only shift into wolves, but traditionally, shapeshifters could take on the appearance of whatever they like. This one is powerful and a vampire. Is it dressed like, the president of the United States," asked Eleazar as software recognition programs ran in the video and the sealed door opened.

"That is the irony. If the United States government had this video, it would appear that the President himself accessed the codes and created the security breach," answered Gavin. The video ended with the president leaving the room, smiling, and then morphing back into the blonde woman before leaving the building.

"Were the codes stolen," asked Zach.

"No, that is the odd thing. It is like this creature is playing some sort of game with us. The Americans know there was a security breach and have changed the codes, but nothing appears to have been stolen. The government is keeping it all quite hush, hush though. The media has no clue about it. I only know because we have been tracking this thing for several months now," explained Gavin.

"There were several high profiled burglaries last year. Diamonds stolen without any suspects, banks emptied without a single security measure being alerted, we knew it could not be human. The problem is that we have no clue who the person is. This vampire is at the top of every organization's Most Wanted list, but remains faceless. If we don't stop it soon, we run the risk of our world being exposed or worse," explained Marcus.

"While nothing in the system seems to say that codes were stolen, people don't just access nuclear warhead codes for no reason. Nothing was taken, but this thing now knows it can access codes whenever it wants and that is extremely dangerous," added Gavin. Allie stepped forward as she focused on the screens.

"You said you were tracking it. Can you pull up all the activity you have," asked Allie and Marcus smiled at her.

"I was hoping you would be intrigued. Eleazar, Carlisle, and I were talking about your abilities. Pattern recognition seems to be at the forefront. No one else has been able to track this thing and we were hoping you would help us, if you can," asked Marcus. Allie silently nodded as Gavin accessed all the information they had on the threat. She assessed each location, the times, and routes possible.

"Definitely not from Asia," she whispered to herself.

"But it showed up in Tokyo," said Gavin.

"Look at the location, a tourist spot, that's not where you go if you live in Japan," explained Allie and Jasper smiled at her.

"You are looking for its home, not where it might be next," said Jasper and Allie nodded.

"Do you know what is so fascinating about all creatures? Habits, we are all creatures of habit and we all need a home, a place we can go to put our guard down. This is definitely a vampire, Eleazar, and even a vampire needs a place to stop for a while."

"Most vampires are nomadic," reminded Eleazar.

"I know, but I read the books in Carlisle's study. Even nomads have favorite regions to return to," she informed and Garrett chuckled.

"I traveled all over the world, but the U.S. has always been my home," agreed Garrett and Allie smiled as she continued analyzing the map in front of her.

"Europe, it definitely has a home in Europe. Not the UK, definitely not Spain. Maybe France, no, Switzerland, no…Italy, she has a home in Italy. Something about this country is significant to her based on the patterns and locations where the crimes occur," said Allie.

"Her, you know it is a female, how," asked Alexander.

"Mannerisms, women flip their hair more, we use our hips to sway more when we walk, and our gait is different from men. She may be able to change her physical appearance, but not her mannerisms."

"And you can tell all of that just from that short video," questioned Alexander and she smiled slyly at him.

"Did you know that when you are just standing around, like now, your back foot is your right foot? Every single time, it is really funny once you pick up on it. I think it is because you like to crouch and push off of your right foot, which means even when you are surrounded by allies, you are ready to spring into action as soon as possible," she informed.

"You and I have never fought, so how would you know how I like to crouch," he asked and she shrugged nonchalantly.

"I watched you fight Jasper and Garrett before when you were training," explained Allie and he slowly nodded in awe.

"So then, Italy," said Alexander and she nodded again.

"Why so close to the Volturi though," asked Tanya and Allie shrugged.

"I have no clue," she admitted.

"No one in their right mind would taunt the Volturi by being so close by," said Zafrina.

"Actually, they would because it is the last place the Volturi would look, not the first. I doubt they live in Volterra, but Italy is a big country. There are plenty of places to hide and while the Volturi are scouring the world looking for her, she is here, close, but never too close," explained Kate.

"That would explain some activity I saw months ago in Nerola. Here is the video. She starts off as an older man, a tourist, but then disappears in this crowd in the town square," explained Gavin and Allie nodded in agreement.

"Crowds would benefit her, a place where there are tons of people to emulate and become. Can you show me that crowd, please," asked Allie and Gavin zoomed in on the video. Allie pointed to an elderly woman leaving the square.

"There she is, exiting at the northern gate. What was she doing there in the first place," asked Allie.

"This is the sight of one of the bank robberies. Millions were stolen, quite a payday for her. We do know that she hits a bank every month, all around the world. Any chance you know where she will go next," asked Lena.

"Zach, remember what news report was on outside of that shop in Florence," asked Allie.

"They were talking about routing zones for cash transfers for big banks. Sometimes they use smaller banks to stockpile money in while the bigger banks are treated as decoys," said Zach.

"Oh yea, like a bank in New York City would be a decoy while the money would be transferred to Saratoga Springs. Bank robbers aren't focused on small towns like that. They think the big draw will be in cities," added Josh.

"Based on the pattern, she circles back home to Italy and when she does, France will be hit. Gavin, I need two things. Where people think the most money in banks in France are and where the money actually is," said Allie. Gavin's eyes began to glow as he touched one of the computers.

"Paris is where people search for money, but they would have better luck in Reims. Wait, I think you are right. Reims just received a large transfer yesterday," said Gavin.

"Look at the banks she robbed, how many days after they received a large transfer was the place emptied," asked Allie and his eyes widened.

"Two and always at night," he answered.

"Then I guess we should head to Reims," said Allie and Zach's eyes widened.

"We," he asked and she nodded.

"They need our help finding her, Zach. She could have codes, intel, things that could set off nuclear warheads and kill my family, plus end the world. We have to find her and stop her as soon as possible," urged Allie and Zach glanced over at his parents. Emmett nodded.

"She is right. The more of us that help, the better chance we have at stopping her," agreed Emmett. Zach slowly nodded and hugged his mate as Marcus sighed in relief.

"Didyme and I will stay here to make sure other operations are running smoothly, but you will have the help of any guards you need. Alexander, Lena, your assignment is to keep them safe by any means necessary. Gavin, you, Roman, Iris, and Leonardo will stay together. Didyme and I will make whatever other arrangements that are needed and you can leave tomorrow," informed Marcus and Josh raised his hand.

"Does this huge castle happen to have a bed," he asked and Marcus chuckled.

"Of course, Josh, Didyme and I will show you and your family to some rooms. I am sure you are tired." Josh sighed in relief and Zach pulled his mate closer to him.

"We should hunt," suggested Zach, but Allie shook her head.

"I am okay. I want to go over this data again," she assured and he hesitantly nodded as she sat down in front of a computer. Rosalie winked at him, sensing his concern.

"She just wants to catch this woman," whispered Rosalie.

"I know mom, but she doesn't even know her. Why is she so adamant about this?"

"Zach, one of the things I think made you fall in love with Allie is her competitive drive. She enjoys a physical challenge, but this is something that I think drives her even more, it is mental. This woman is a challenge to her, unidentifiable, hard to track, and Allie is all about finding ways to identify people. She finds patterns and learns from them. This is her ultimate challenge," explained Rosalie.

"I just don't want her to get hurt. We know nothing about this woman," whispered Zach and Rosalie kissed his cheek.

"You will be there to protect her. We all will," assured Rosalie. He hugged his mother before sitting beside his mate, knowing she was anxious to find the woman that had them on edge.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The city of Reims bustled with music and bright lights the next night as tourists and residents celebrated the annual wine and food tasting festival. Gavin landed the stealth jet he piloted for the Cullens and Denalis on the northern outskirts of the city while Alexander landed a jet south of the city. Roman and Iris handed everyone leather jackets to which Zach frowned in confusion.

"I am already wearing one," said Zach and Edward chuckled.

"Not like this, these are specially made for missions like this," informed Edward and Roman nodded as he zipped his up.

"The hood is wired and ready so that you can communicate with all of us. There is a small camera on the zipper and as long as you are wearing this jacket, we will be able to keep track of you," explained Roman. Jasper pointed to the screen at the front of the jet as Gavin uploaded a map of the city.

"The festival tonight is perfect coverage for a bank robbery. We think she will strike during the parade. It will start at the cathedral in the town square, make its way throughout the city, pass the bank, and end back at the cathedral. It starts in fifteen minutes," informed Jasper.

"How long will it last," asked Garrett.

"An hour," replied Jasper.

"Which means for an hour, there will be too many people in the city for any type of law enforcement to get in quickly if alerted about a bank robbery," added Benjamin.

"We also have to worry about exposure during the event. There will be people everywhere," said Keegan.

"But that is a setback for the vampire as well, as far as we know, she still understands the rules of our world. I do not believe she is bold enough to break them now and blatantly expose her powers to humans," informed Iris. Roman put on the hood of his jacket.

"Alexander, can you hear us," called Roman into the hood.

"Loud and clear, have Gavin connect us on the screen," instructed Alexander and Gavin immediately got to work. A video feed of Alexander appeared on the screen as he addressed everyone in the jet.

"We have jets positioned east and west of the city and guards ready to descend. Since all of us do not have the same power as Allie, the goal is to stop any vampire that we come across. We must be discrete in this operation. While it is night, it is also a very busy time for humans and they will be all throughout the city. Everyone should break up into groups. Try to blend in as much as possible and head toward the bank. If you see her, press the button on the right sleeve of your jacket. It will alert everyone to head your way. Watch each other's backs and stay safe. Do not underestimate this vampire. She is extremely dangerous. See you soon," stated Alexander before cutting the feed and Tanya walked over to Carlisle.

"How should we split up the teams," she asked and Roman approached them.

"If it is alright, I would like to be with Nahuel and Kaya. Iris will stay here to protect Leonardo. Gavin will run surveillance on us and the humans from inside the jet and be able to get into any systems online that we need," explained Roman and Carlisle smiled at him.

"Of course, you, Nahuel, Renesmee, Kaya, and Seth will be together. I will let the others decide how they want to team up," informed Carlisle and Rosalie glanced over at Edward and Alice. Edward nodded in agreement with her thoughts.

"Zach, Allie, and Josh should stay with Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, and Leah. I will be with Bella, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme," announced Edward. Tanya slipped her hand into Benjamin's as she looked around at her family.

"Kate and Garrett are with us. Zafrina, Keegan, Carmen, and Eleazar, make sure you stay close. I don't want any of us to be too far away from each other if we come across this woman," instructed Tanya.

"Keep your phones close just in case there is interference with the communication feed in the jackets. Let's head out and remember, no one can be exposed. That means no phasing, no super speed unless you know there are no human eyes around to detect you, and no avalanches," said Jasper as he grinned at his nephew and Zach rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, Uncle Jasper, we get it. No supernatural stuff in front of the humans," agreed Zach. Rosalie glanced at Leah.

"I don't like that you, Jake, and Josh will not be able to phase. That makes you vulnerable," warned Rosalie and Leah winked at her.

"We will stay close, but it isn't like any of us are going to be able to use our abilities around the crowd anyways," assured Leah.

"Let's try to apprehend this woman as quickly and quietly as possible. Everyone be smart and stay safe," instructed Carlisle as Gavin opened the jet door. Eleazar eyed Leonardo curiously as the guard and Iris exited the jet. Edward chuckled at Eleazar's silent question.

"Yes, his power is quite impressive. It is almost like a selective force field, much different from Zach's," informed Edward as Leonardo sat on the ground beside the jet. He crossed his legs underneath him and rubbed his hands together as Iris ran a hand through his hair. Leonardo smiled up at her and Roman rolled his eyes at their interaction.

"Don't worry. I will make sure no one comes close to you. Focus all your energy on making sure this vampire doesn't leave the city," said Iris.

"I will. The jets above are making sure she doesn't leave by air and I will make sure she can't escape down a street. You know how to snap me out of it if you need me. Be careful," he said before tenderly kissing her.

"What am I missing," asked Nahuel and Renesmee giggled at her mate.

"I think most of us are confused. Care to let us in on the secret, daddy," asked Renesmee and Edward winked at his daughter.

"Just watch," whispered Edward. Leonardo placed his hands palms down on the ground and slid his fingers into the dirt. His eyes closed as fog seeped from his hands and slithered along the ground. It billowed up and around the city, creating a ring of fog and mist around Reims. Eleazar's eyes widened and Roman chuckled.

"I was pretty amazed the first time I saw it too. The fog acts as a barrier, but what really is impressive is how selective he can be," said Roman.

"Right now, he is only focused on vampires, so any human that walks toward the fog will be able to pass through it. Any vampire that tries, will not be able to escape it, he will act as a shield and contain the threat to the city," added Iris.

"It must take great focus," said Eleazar as Leonardo remained stoic.

"That is why I will stay behind to protect him from anyone that tries to come near him," said Iris.

"I knew the Volturi were holding out on us. That is a fascinating ability," said Garrett and Roman smiled slyly.

"When your job is to protect the vampire world, you can never have too many resources. It is almost time. We should head toward the city. Nahuel, Kaya, stay by me," instructed Roman.

"Don't worry so much, Roman. You don't have to protect us. We can handle ourselves. Besides, the Volturi aren't the only vampires with talents," assured Nahuel. Renesmee touched Roman's neck and showed him pictures of their previous battles. Roman blinked several times and bowed his head to her.

"Of course, Renesmee, your power is quite impressive," complimented Roman. Bella hugged her daughter.

"Before you complain, yes I know you can take care of yourself, but stay close. I want your father to be able to hear you, no matter where we are in the city," said Bella and Renesmee hugged her parents.

"Okay, mom, we will stay within a couple of blocks of you," agreed Renesmee. Rosalie kissed Seth's cheek.

"You are more vulnerable in human form, so don't do anything crazy, Seth. Do you understand me," asked Rosalie and he hugged her.

"I know, Rose. We will be fine," he assured. Carlisle and Tanya led the group toward the city. The music grew louder as they made it into the square. The smell of wine, breads, and cheeses swirled in the air and people filled the streets. The group dispersed into their smaller teams and Zach slipped his hand into Allie's as they walked down a narrow road along the parade path. She surveyed the area and Zach could sense her anxiousness.

"What is it," he asked and she shook her head as she looked around.

"Something doesn't seem right. Even if she likes to work within crowds, it would be easy to spot her. She would have to carry out bags to hold the money."

"The bank is at the end of the street. We are almost there," assured Zach.

"No, this is too easy. I am missing something," she said as she let out a growl of frustration.

"Allie, calm down," whispered Zach and Josh nudged her.

"We are going to get her, Al," assured Josh, but Allie ignored them. She put on the hood of her jacket.

"Gavin, can you hear me," she asked.

"What's up, Allie?"

"Are there any aircrafts in the vicinity?"

"No, we already secured the airspace. No one is leaving by air and Leonardo has blocked the escape routes out of the city," answered Gavin.

"Not by air, not by street….underground, she could go underground…Gavin, I need information on…."

"Sewer systems and tunnels, on it, just give me a second," said Gavin. Rosalie turned to Allie.

"What are you thinking," asked Rosalie and Allie scanned over the area once more.

"The streets are too narrow and this city isn't as open as Rome or the other places she robbed. What if she isn't going through the crowd," questioned Allie. Suddenly, a beeping followed by the high-pitched ringing of an alarm could be heard in the distance. It was too low for the humans to detect, but the vampires and wolves heard it with ease.

"The bank is under siege. Everyone head that way," ordered Alexander, but Allie did not move as the others ran at a human pace down the street. Zach stopped and waited for his mate.

"Allie, come on," he urged, but she ignored him.

"Come on, Gavin, we are running out of time," she growled.

"Caves, there are wine caves, cellars, Reims is known for them. One wraps around the bank and heads west. You are two blocks from an entrance. There will be humans inside."

"It is the perfect escape route, she is heading that way," shouted Allie as she ran at human speed down a narrow street heading west.

"Allie," called Zach as he and Josh ran after her. She could see the entrance for a winery and slowed her pace as a swarm of humans marched her way. The parade was underway and she managed to make her way across the street just as the crowd consumed it.

"Allie, wait," called Zach as she stepped toward the entrance. The sea of bodies marching along the parade route separated them, him and Josh on one side, her on the other.

"We are going to lose her if I don't go now. I will be careful," she assured before disappearing into the building and it took everything within Zach not to leap over the crowd of people to go after her. Josh grabbed his arm, sensing his urge to use his powers.

"Don't, Z, there are too many people. Come on, let's head through the crowd. Maybe we can catch up with her," he suggested and Zach gritted his teeth in anger, but followed his friend into the crowd of people dancing throughout the street.

The building connected to a series of tunnels leading down to the caves. The once natural formations were turned into wine cellars and filled with bottles of wine and champagne. The only illumination in the caves was candlelight and Allie closed her eyes to let her other senses take over. There were only a few tourists underground and she could hear the pitter patter of feet racing her way. She looked around to make sure no humans were around before darting toward the sound, but cursed under her breath when she lost it down another tunnel, which led to a door. She quickly ran toward it and was surprised to see that it led back up to the streets. Her eyes were trained on the crowd of humans as she made her way out of the caves and back into the square.

"There you are," called Zach behind her and she smiled at her mate when she saw him in a darkened street beside the main route of the parade. She jogged over to him at a human pace.

"I could have sworn I had her. She was down there. I just know it."

"Maybe next time," he said and she smirked.

"There isn't going to be a next time. She isn't getting out of this city."

"Right, well, I am going to find the others. Stay here. I will be right back," said Zach and she leaned in to kiss him, but he backed away and headed in the opposite direction of the square. She frowned in confusion as she eyed him.

"Where is Josh," she questioned and he slowed to a stop. He smiled as he turned around to face her.

"Probably just got caught up in the crowd, I will be right back." He turned back around and she noticed the way he walked, the way his hips swished more than usual.

"Hey Zach," she called and he sighed as he spun around with a chuckle.

"Yea," he asked. She slowly walked closer to him as she tried to take in his scent, but the smell was unfamiliar to her.

"One more question, what is my name?" Zach's smile slowly faded and he sighed as he shook his head.

"You just had to be perceptive," he whispered before starting to circle her and Allie smirked.

"You almost had me you know? It wasn't even the scent at first. You don't act like my mate. He never leaves without kissing me."

"Well, you aren't exactly my type. How did you know I would be in the caves?"

"How did you know to turn into my mate if you don't even know who I am?"

"I saw you coming from literally a mile away. I knew the Volturi would come for me eventually. Aro would have it no other way. I saw you from the roof of the bank, you and your group. You weren't exactly stealthy. I didn't expect to see you in the caves though."

"I figured you couldn't get out of the city through the crowd this time, not with all of us here. You would choose another route." The vampire smirked and morphed again, this time into a replica of Allie. She smiled at Allie as they continued to circle each other.

"You are smart. I will give you that, but there is no way I am going to let you take me to Aro."

"Aro is dead. Marcus and Didyme are the rulers now."

"Sure they are, at least that's what he wants everyone to believe, but I highly doubt the greatest evil of our kind is truly gone," growled the vampire before hurling a punch toward Allie. She dodged it and pounced with ease, sending the vampire crashing onto the cobblestone ground. Allie was about to strike, but the vampire morphed back into Zach before her eyes.

"Wait, don't," gasped the vampire and Allie hesitated. The vampire kicked her in the midsection, sending Allie backward in a heap. She recovered quickly and flipped to her feet as the vampire ripped a manhole cover off and hurled it in Allie's direction. She was about to catch it, but Zach's force field stopped it in midair. The vampire winked at Allie before jumping into the sewer and Zach wrapped his arms around his mate to stop her from pursuing her.

"Allie, stop! Let her go, we will catch her later," said Zach and Allie squirmed out of his hold on her. She eyed him cautiously and noticed the rest of the family and Denalis making their way through the crowd. Zach took a step toward her, but she stepped back.

"What is wrong with you," he asked and the hurt and rejection on his face let her know it was really him. She sighed in relief and hugged him as she took in his scent.

"It is really you," she said and he nodded as he kissed her forehead.

"Yea, it is. What just happened," he asked as the rest of his family joined them in the darkened road and Allie gritted her teeth.

"She's gone and now she knows we are tracking her," grumbled Allie. The rest of the family glanced at each other knowing that the encounter with the vampire left Allie shaken.

Hours later, Allie gulped as she followed Zach into their bedroom in the villa on Isola Marcime. He tossed his leather jacket on the sofa and started to undress.

"I need a shower before I go talk with Marcus about this," he grumbled and took off his boots.

"Want company," she asked as she slipped her hand into his, but he pulled away from her.

"No, I need to focus right now," he mumbled and headed toward the bathroom as he peeled off his shirt.

"Wait, are you mad at me," she asked and he huffed.

"Wow, you just now caught that? I thought your analytical side would have kicked in earlier." He opened the door to the bathroom, but she stepped in front of him.

"Hey, talk to me. What did I do?"

"Really," he asked in disbelief as he crossed his arms.

"Yea, really, I don't understand why I am being attacked? I got my ass handed to me tonight. The least you can do is comfort me!"

"You wouldn't have gotten your ass handed to you if you wouldn't have run off! Allie, what is wrong with you? It is like you are obsessed with this vampire!"

"I am trying to stop a threat! This vampire is dangerous, Zach."

"Exactly, it is dangerous, but that didn't stop you from chasing after it like you are indestructible or something."

"I thought I had it covered."

"Yea, you were arrogant enough to think that your power was enough to go in blind, but guess what, Allie? You aren't invincible! I am worried about you," he confessed and she scoffed.

"I was trying to do the right thing!"

"Right, just like you were trying to do the right thing when you tracked down Callista and got into a fight with her. You are letting your abilities cloud your judgment."

"That isn't true! My abilities…."

"I can see it in your eyes! You are so obsessed with taking this thing on that you are willing to put yourself at risk. Just because you are a newborn doesn't mean you can't get hurt. Maybe this was a mistake. I know our family wants to help the Volturi, but I think we have done enough. We should leave and let them handle it from here."

"No way, Zach, they need our help to stop her and…."

"This isn't how I imagined spending our vacation in Italy! I figured we would hunt, enjoy the sights, and start planning our wedding, not go around trying to hunt down vampires on Most Wanted lists."

"We have our entire lives to do all of that," she argued and he shook his head sadly.

"Have you even thought about our wedding," he asked as he gazed into her eyes and she growled in frustration.

"Why are you in such a rush for that? We are mates. A ceremony isn't going to change that."

"That ceremony is important to me and it should be important to you. Maybe this is my fault though. I let us get too comfortable with the progression of our relationship," he muttered and she flinched at the words.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I am still an old fashioned guy, Allie. I believe in marriage and vowing our lives to each other. I believe you should do that before getting too physical, but I figured since we were mates and engaged it would be okay. Now, you are acting as if you don't even want to be my wife."

"How can you even say that? So now you regret making love to me," she asked as she stepped back from him and he shook his head.

"No, I will never regret that, but I do want to make love to my wife too."

"So making love to your mate is not enough for you? Making love to the woman that became a vampire for you isn't enough? I am all in, Zach. I always have been, so don't you dare question that now because I want to save the world from someone that can destroy it!"

"You are all in," he asked and she nodded.

"Of course I am."

"Then set a date," he challenged. Before she could respond, Josh entered the room and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you guys need to see this. Everyone is at the mansion," informed Josh and Zach nodded as he put his shirt back on. Allie reached out to him.

"Zach…."

"You are getting what you want. Our plans are postponed, we have to go save the world," he grumbled before exiting the room and Josh smiled sympathetically at her as she followed him out of the villa.

Alexander shook his head in disbelief as he watched the television in the living room of the mansion with the rest of the family. Zach could sense the tension as he entered the room and saw his Aunt Alice whispering with his Uncle Jasper. Rosalie walked over to her son and hugged him.

"Hey, you okay," she asked and he shrugged.

"Not really, but Josh said something has happened," said Zach as Allie and Josh joined them in the living room. Alexander pointed to the television.

"There have been two more security breaches at bases holding nuclear warheads, one in Russia and one in North Korea. The media doesn't know the full extent, but Gavin does. She accessed their nuclear codes," informed Alexander.

"But when, she couldn't have had time to get from Reims to Russia and North Korea already," asked Kate and Alice groaned as she rubbed her temples.

"I wish I could see her. I hate this," whined Alice and Jasper hugged his mate to comfort her. Edward surveyed the thoughts of his family members and slowly nodded.

"This isn't the ideal situation with Alice being blind, but we have to act now before it is too late. We don't know what she is going to do with the information she has access to. All we can go by is her movements. This vampire has accessed nuclear warhead codes from the United States, Russia, and North Korea. We have to stop her," said Edward and Zach begrudgingly nodded.

"If we are going to do it, we should do it soon, but not tonight. Josh needs sleep and I am sure we could all use some time to regroup. I'll do whatever you need me to do, I just want this over with," mumbled Zach before leaving the room and Allie sighed.

"I will go talk to him," she said, but Josh shook his head.

"Give him a little space to clear his head," suggested Josh and she slowly nodded.

"Yea, I think I need that too. Excuse me," she said before darting outside. She climbed onto a boulder at the edge of the beach and stared out at the moonlit water as Rosalie made her way over to her.

"What is going on with you and Zach? I have never seen him so disappointed to do a mission like this."

"I love your son, but I don't understand him right now. How dare he question my love for him! He thinks I am letting the power go to my head, but I am not….am I," she questioned.

"Allie, even before you met Zach, you wanted to be a doctor, which means you wanted to help people. You have always wanted to make a difference, so I don't blame you for wanting to help now."

"Why do I feel like there is a 'but' somewhere in there?" Rosalie giggled.

"But, you are also a newborn that is being challenged and you want to beat the person challenging you. I don't blame you for letting the power go to your head a bit. You went from being a vulnerable human to someone that can beat Lena and Kate."

"Right, I can, so why should I be ashamed of that?"

"You shouldn't. In fact, you should embrace it. Come on, let's get out some of that aggression. Take me on," challenged Rosalie and Allie's eyes widened.

"No way, I won't fight you, Rose."

"Why not, you think you can beat me that easily?"

"No, it is just that I think of you as a second mother to me now and I don't want to hurt you," confessed Allie. Rosalie gave a coy smile as she started circling her.

"That is sweet, but you won't hurt me. Come on, let's go, you and me," taunted Rosalie and Allie made it to her feet.

"Are you sure about this," asked Allie and Rosalie smirked.

"What's the matter, scared of little ole' me?"

"Actually, yes," admitted Allie and Rosalie laughed.

"Then maybe you aren't as arrogant as Zach thinks you are." Rosalie waited for Allie to lunge forward and sidestepped her. She grabbed Allie's hair as she did and used it to pull the newborn down before placing her knee in her back. Allie winced and Rosalie let go before standing up. She held her hand out to Allie and Allie sighed as she grasped it.

"Ouch, that actually hurt," pouted Allie and Rosalie nodded.

"Sorry, but I had to prove a point. You can still feel pain, Allie, and just because you are a newborn doesn't mean you can't be defeated. I get it. You beat Lena, Kate, and Jasper and those are great feats, but when it comes to life or death situations, all it takes is one mistake, one miscalculation, and you are dead. I am happy you think of me like a mother now because I think of you like a daughter. Don't let that power blind you. We can live forever, but that doesn't mean we can't be killed. What you did tonight was careless and Zach is upset because you could have gotten killed."

"You are right. I got cocky. I am sorry," she admitted as she hugged Rosalie.

"It is understandable. Just don't let it happen again. We are a family. You don't stray from family because you have a hunch, especially in such a dangerous situation. Do it again and I won't hold back next time," warned Rosalie and Allie's eyes widened.

"That was you holding back?" Rosalie's tinkling laughter echoed around them.

"In the words of my mate, you are a badass newborn, but I have my ways around some of that." Allie analyzed Rosalie's stance.

"That's not fair. You made sure not to use a specific fighting style and used that against me," accused Allie.

"I have no clue what you are talking about."

"Yes you do because you do it on purpose. You never show your hand when you are fighting someone."

"When I fight, I fight to win. I don't care about how it looks or about a certain technique. I fight to survive. I fight to come back to my family, to Em and Zach and Seth. I do whatever I need to do in the moment because when it is life or death, there are no rules."

"I will keep that in mind. You know Rose, you have always been difficult for me to analyze. You have your mannerisms, but you are selective about the information you volunteer and how much you let people know about you."

"There was a time when I would flaunter my assets around, but this existence has changed me. I think it is best to leave some things left unsaid unless it is necessary to say them. Now, enough about me, your time is better spent making up with your mate. Go find him," urged Rosalie and Allie kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Rose, for everything." Rosalie smiled as she watched Allie disappear into the villa she shared with Zach. Emmett wrapped his mate in his arms.

"You are an amazing mother," he informed and she giggled as he kissed her forehead.

Zach's eyes were fixed on the fireplace in the bedroom of the villa when Allie entered. She wasted no time closing the distance between her and her mate and he was surprised when she pulled him into her arms. She captured his lips in a tender kiss and his defenses faltered as he kissed her back. She pulled away with a small smile and leaned her forehead against his.

"You are wrong if you think I want the power or to find this woman more than I want you. It has always been you, Zach, and it always will be. You are the only reason I have all of this and the only reason I want it. I would do anything for you and if you want to go home right now, we will. Never think that I love anything or anyone more than I love you," she explained and a dimpled grin crept onto his lips.

"I am sorry I got so upset. I just kind of lost it when you went after her and I couldn't get to you. It reminded me of a really scary time."

"What time?"

"The time you died in my arms," he confessed and she frowned in confusion.

"What are you talking about? I never…."

"Remember when I told you that Asa showed me our future? Well, she also showed me a path in the present that wasn't real, but could have been if I wasn't careful. On that path, you were killed and it felt real to me, Allie. It is hard to explain how excruciating it was, but for several minutes, I thought you were dead. I felt your heart stop and I wanted to die. I can never lose you again," he confessed and she hugged him tightly.

"I am sorry about tonight. I was stupid for going after her like that. It was just nice for once to feel powerful, to feel worthy of you."

"What," he asked with confusion etched on his face.

"You don't know what it is like to know you are with the most amazing being in the world."

"I don't think I am the most amazing being in the world. Have you met every being in the…."

"You know what I mean, Cullen. You know our future and I know how many times you have saved people. It was nice to think that I could be the one doing the saving this time to prove that I deserve you, that I deserve our eternity together."

"Nayeli, you are everything to me and we deserve to be happy together. I love you."

"I love you too and I promise to never go off on my own like that again. I do want to stop this woman though. It is personal to me now, Zach. She used my love for you to beat me. She morphed into you to mess with my head and it definitely did."

"It is personal for me too. She attacked my mate and we are going to stop her, but we are going to do it together, nayeli."

"Together," she agreed and kissed him passionately. They pulled apart and he smiled as he glanced over at the bed.

"You know, nayeli, I may have been a bit hasty when I said we were moving too fast in our relationship."

"I was hoping you would see it that way," she giggled as she pulled him toward the bed and his dimpled grin was on full display.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Allie closed her eyes as she basked in the sunlight. The scent of sea water and the breeze swirling around her had a calming effect and she smiled as she glanced down at her sparkling skin. After spending the rest of the night and morning with her mate, she encouraged him to go spend time with Josh while she enjoyed the afternoon on the beach. She noticed one of the Volturi's stealth jets appear above the island and land on the lawn behind the mansion. She frowned in confusion when she saw Marcus and Didyme descend from the jet and darted over to greet them.

"Marcus, Didyme, what are you doing here? I thought you sent Alexander and Lena back here with us because you needed to stay in Volterra. Is everything okay? Zach is playing video games with Josh right now. I can go get him if you need me to. Has something happened? Did the vampire….." Didyme placed a comforting hand on Allie's shoulder and the newborn immediately relaxed under her touch. Her aura washed over Allie, causing her to smile.

"Everything is fine. Marcus and I found something that could be of use and decided to return to the island to show your family. I am sure Alice will alert the others to our arrivals. How are you doing? You had quite the night last night," said Didyme and Allie shrugged.

"I am alright," said Allie, but Marcus and Didyme gave her knowing smiles, which made Allie sigh.

"Okay, so maybe I am a bit tense after last night and embarrassed," admitted Allie.

"Why are you embarrassed? Didyme and I were quite impressed with your skills. We saw the video from the camera on your jacket. You managed to track the vampire down, something that was impossible for our guards to do. You should be proud of your abilities," commended Marcus.

"I am, but I also kind of lost my head there for a bit. A part of me knew I should have waited for Zach, but I just let this woman get to me. She got in my head. I don't like that I let her get into my head." Didyme wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Allie, you need to give yourself a break. You are a newborn and all of this is new to you. We have encountered many newborns in our existence. Trust me when I say your impulsivity is mild compared to others. You are doing an amazing job keeping your emotions at bay. I know it is harder for you to do than you let on at times," informed Didyme.

"How do you know that?"

"While my ability is to emit my aura and I am certainly not as perceptive as Jasper, I can sense tension in others. It is what helps me regulate how much of my aura I share with people. I am impressed by the amount of control you have. Most newborns couldn't even fathom showing such restraint so early."

"When Carlisle told us how smoothly your transformation progressed, I was skeptical, but you truly are acting like a mature vampire already," assured Marcus.

"I don't feel very mature at the moment. If anything, I feel very tightly wound. It is easier when Zach is by me to remind me to breathe though."

"That isn't a newborn part of you. That is the mate bond. There are still times when it feels unbearable to be without Marcus. We are rarely apart for that reason. Come, it looks like Alice has gathered the rest of the family in the mansion for us. We have something to show you," said Didyme and Allie followed her and Marcus to the living room inside the mansion. Allie hugged her mate as Zach and Josh entered along with Rosalie, Emmett, Leah, Jacob, Seth and Kaya. Renesmee and Nahuel were already waiting on them with Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme. The Denalis were the last to join the group and were curious about the book in Marcus's hand. Alice beamed with happiness as she hugged Didyme and Marcus. Edward glanced down at the leather bounded book.

"So that's it, Aro's journal," said Edward as the rest of the family turned their attention to the book.

"One of many, it seems he felt very highly of himself and enjoyed writing down his thoughts. Personally, I wanted to burn these things once Didyme and I took over, but she insisted on keeping them," replied Marcus and Garrett scoffed.

"Why do you think reading the thoughts of a madman will help us? This vampire is a threat, but I doubt she is anywhere near as insane as Aro was," stated Garrett, but he winced when Didyme looked down.

"Sorry, it is hard to believe he was your brother," apologized Garrett and Didyme waved him off.

"You did not offend me. He most certainly was mad. It is more like the very thought of him saddens me, even to this day, but this isn't about Aro. It is about what he recorded in this journal," explained Didyme as she handed it to Carlisle. She pointed to an entry written toward the end of the book and Carlisle's eyes widened as he read it.

"A chameleon: that is the only way to describe the girl. The power is distinctive and rare. The ability to blend in, to morph and evade with ease is infinitely more valuable to me than most of my dear ones at the moment. We cannot stop until she is found. Every tracker must be deployed, every resource used," read Carlisle.

"This is why the vampire was rambling on about Aro when I encountered her. He hunted her," said Allie and Marcus began to sift through the journal again.

"She was one of the vampires on his radar, one that got away and stayed hidden, like Benjamin," revealed Marcus.

"Even if Aro was speaking about her, how does this help us," asked Zach.

"Allie, you said before that people are creatures of habit and one habit is that everyone needs some sort of home, some location that allows them to put their guard down and you believe hers is somewhere in Italy, correct," questioned Marcus.

"Yes, I still believe that," answered Allie. Marcus pointed to a page and handed it back to Carlisle, who gasped when he read it.

"The chameleon Aro speaks of originated in Genoa," questioned Carlisle.

"Yes and if Allie is right, the city may still mean a great deal to her. She may return," said Marcus. Gavin, Alexander, Lena, Roman, Iris, and Leonardo entered the room and Marcus smiled at his guards.

"Good, you are just in time. Gavin, will you show us the map of activity you created in reference to the vampire," asked Marcus and Gavin quickly uploaded a map on the screen in the living room and zoomed in on Genoa, Italy.

"Based on the parameters I set up after tracking the vampire's activity, it is highly plausible that she is the vampire from Aro's journal. She meets the specs," informed Gavin.

"A chameleon, I suppose that is one way to describe her. Allie, what did you notice about her during your encounter," asked Eleazar and Allie gritted her teeth as she thought about the vampire.

"She is manipulative, but extremely intelligent. She knew that we were tracking her and saw me with Zach. She knew he was my mate and was able to morph into him." Edward shook his head as he read Eleazar's thoughts.

"She isn't that powerful," answered Edward and Eleazar sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness," mumbled Eleazar.

"She seems pretty powerful to me and I haven't even met her, especially if Aro wanted her," said Benjamin, but Eleazar shook his head.

"There are variations to this type of power and one type is called a leech. Leeches not only can take on your physical appearances, but also your powers," said Eleazar and Bella's eyes widened.

"That sounds terrifying. Have you ever seen a vampire that can do that," asked Bella.

"I have only heard of cases of such beings, but Aro eliminated those vampires quite quickly. The threat of their power scared him, so he killed them," explained Eleazar.

"Of course he did, when in doubt, kill, that seemed to be Aro's motto in life," grumbled Kate.

"She looked like Zach, but didn't have his force field. She would have used it if she did," confirmed Allie.

"Even with that being the case, she is still powerful and is up to something. The Russian, American, and North Korean governments are cracking down on their security and we still don't know why she accessed those codes," said Jasper.

"Then we should head to Genoa and find out before she has a chance to do any more damage," suggested Emmett.

"What are the chances she will even be there," questioned Esme and Alice smiled as she sifted through her visions.

"I may not be able to see her, but I can use the process of elimination to sidestep that pesky problem. By deciding to go to Genoa, my visions get blocked. I can see everyone when we are here, which means unlike Asa, she cannot block me completely, just her path. She is in Genoa. It is the only path that I can't see," revealed Alice.

"Then tonight, we will head to Genoa and finish this," said Lena, but Keegan frowned.

"What happens to the vampire when she is captured," asked Keegan.

"She has caused a great threat to our world and risked our exposure. If Gavin wouldn't have intercepted the footage from the United States, humans would have video evidence of the supernatural. We have to eliminate her," responded Alexander and Keegan smirked.

"Have to or want to," challenged Keegan and Alexander eyed him curiously.

"You think we have a choice in the matter," asked Alexander.

"There is always a choice," reminded Zafrina.

"Tell that to the vampire with the nuclear codes," argued Lena. Keegan shook his head in disappointment and Tanya stepped forward.

"Keegan has a point. Our family has seen firsthand that just because someone could possibly be a threat doesn't mean they should be eliminated. There was a time when we thought firestarters could not be anything more than a threat, but our family would not be whole without one," informed Tanya and Keegan smiled as Benjamin clapped him on the back.

"Yes or nearly as fun," added Benjamin. Didyme whispered to her mate for a moment and Marcus nodded in agreement.

"My mate is right and so is Tanya. Before eliminating the vampire, we need to give her a chance to come forward. Our goal is to capture her, make sure the codes are not a threat, and give her the chance to make amends," said Marcus, but Josh threw up his hands in exasperation.

"What kind of amends can be made? She is messing with nuclear warheads. I highly doubt she wants them as housewarming gifts. Besides, I thought the one rule of the Volturi was to not expose your world to humans. If it wasn't for Gavin, she would have done that," argued Josh and Alexander smiled at him.

"He does have a point," agreed Alexander, but Carlisle shook his head.

"Elimination should be the last resort. I do not know if this vampire is capable of redemption, but the least we can do is find out. Marcus, my family and I will help you track down this vampire, but I hope for her sake and ours, killing her will not be necessary," said Carlisle and Esme smiled hopefully at her mate.

"Maybe we can reason with her. We have done it in the past," reminded Esme and Zach hugged her.

"That's one of the reasons I love you, grandma. You always see the bright side. I hope you are right, but I am not going to act like I don't have a huge issue with this woman. Allie and I are in agreement. She needs to be stopped and we want to help. One way or another, she is going to stop threatening our world. How that happens is up to her," said Zach and Renesmee gave a curt nod.

"None of us want to have to kill, but I don't like the idea of anyone having access to nuclear codes. It doesn't just affect the vampire world. My grandpa may be immortal now, but I don't want to test that by seeing what happens to him and Sue when they encounter radioactive bombs. We have to stop her," said Renesmee.

"We may not all be in agreement about what will happen to the woman, but it sounds like none of us are willing to find out what would happen if we don't stop her," admitted Seth.

"Fair enough, we will head to Genoa tonight. Alice, you believe she will be there, correct," questioned Marcus and Alice nodded without hesitation.

"It is the only path I can't see. That is where she is," assured Alice.

"Then Genoa it is. Tonight, we are going to make sure this woman is not a threat, one way or another," announced Marcus.

The moon glowed and pierced through the swirl of clouds as the Volturi's stealth jets zipped through the night sky. It was past midnight and the flight to Genoa had everyone on high alert as they anticipated their encounter with the enigmatic vampire. Rosalie made her way toward the back of the jet where Carlisle and Esme were sitting. Carlisle smiled at his daughter as she sat beside them.

"I am not sure about this. I know they can handle it, but I am not sure I am ready. I know it makes logical sense and Jasper is right, it is practical," admitted Rosalie.

"But having Zach, Allie, and Josh go off on their own when we split into smaller teams still seems counterintuitive. I understand that. I am a parent as well. It is hard to let go," said Carlisle.

"He is too young and I am his mother. He should be with me."

"If your instincts are telling you that they cannot handle going off on their own, then by all means, we can change the plan. However, if you are simply worried because you want to protect him as his mother, maybe you should let him go. Jasper is right. This vampire is cunning and saw us coming last time. The smaller the groups, the stealthier we can be."

"I know, but I don't know if he can handle this level of responsibility. This is a dangerous situation."

"Give him a chance to prove that he can. Besides, you heard what Eleazar said about the vampire's power, she will be no match for him or Allie for that matter. Let him show you he can be on his own."

"That's just it. I don't want him to be on his own. He is still a child, my child."

"You are right and he always will be. Think of it this way. We will be close by along with the rest of the guards just in case something does happen."

"I suppose you are right. This is just hard, all of it. I still remember holding him in my arms when he was a baby and now, he isn't," confessed Rosalie as she gazed at her son. Zach was at the front of the plane talking with Gavin, who was showing him some of the features of the jet.

"He will always be your baby boy, no matter how old he gets. Besides, it isn't like you have to worry about him ever truly leaving the nest," teased Carlisle and Rosalie giggled.

"That is true. I am quite lucky," said Rosalie and Esme patted her hand.

"We all are. I understand your worries. I am worried about all of you even though you are adults and capable of taking care of yourselves. You will never stop worrying, but Zach will be just fine," assured Esme. Rosalie kissed their cheeks and stood back up.

"Thanks for the pep talk," she whispered to them before heading over to her son. Zach chuckled as she hugged him tightly.

"Miss me all the way in the back of the jet, mom," he asked and she shrugged.

"Do I need a reason to hug you?"

"Never, mom," he assured as he hugged her back.

"Good, so I have spoken with your father and your grandparents and Alice and Edward and Bella and also, Jake and Leah…"

"So, everyone you can imagine," he teased.

"Oh I am sure there are more brains to pick on the subject, but they are right. You, Allie, and Josh can take care of each other, so you can split into a team. That doesn't mean you get to go off and try to play the heroes though. Stay close and if you sense too much danger…."

"I know, mom. We won't do anything crazy."

"Good, so no more making headlines or causing natural disasters," she asked and he chuckled.

"No more making headlines," he promised.

"What about causing natural disasters?"

"I can't promise that. It is way too much fun, but I promise to be more careful when I do. You can trust me."

"I know I can. I raised you right." Emmett wrapped his arms around them.

"We raised you right," he corrected and Rosalie smirked.

"You are just as much trouble as he is. Don't go playing the hero either. I need my boys safe and sound," she warned and Emmett kissed his mate.

"We aren't going anywhere," he assured. Edward, Bella, Alice, and Jasper approached them as the jet started to descend.

"It is time. Leonardo, Iris, and Roman are already on the ground and have secured the perimeter. Connell and Tia are already in the city with Alexander and Lena," informed Edward as they looked at the surveillance cameras overhead. Fog crept over the land and encircled the city.

"That is just creepy," mumbled Garrett as he watched the video feed.

"Good thing he is on our side," agreed Kate. Tanya stood up as Carlisle approached her.

"Esme and I will start from the north," informed Carlisle.

"Benjamin and I are going to start from the west. Kate and Garrett will search in the region between yours and ours. We should all meet in the middle of the city," informed Tanya. Gavin maneuvered the jet over the city and gave them the thumbs up.

"I will keep track of everyone from up here. You can go whenever you are ready," said Gavin. Carlisle glanced over at his mate as the door slid open and the wind whipped around them. They were hundreds of yards above the city and Esme pointed toward an open field. He nodded.

"Ladies first," he asked and Esme giggled at him.

"Not this time," she said with a wink and he chuckled before leaping out of the jet. Esme followed and the two sliced through the air and toward the city like missiles. They landed on their feet in a vineyard north of the city and headed for town. Edward and Bella were next, followed by Alice and Jasper. The Denalis broke into their pairs and jumped, followed by Renesmee and Nahuel. Seth glanced over at Zach and gulped.

"Are you sure about this," asked Seth as he looked down at the city beneath them. It looked small from that height and Zach chuckled at his hesitance.

"Trust me, just stay close to me. We can all fan out after we land," assured Zach. Seth nodded and Jacob and Leah did as well. Josh nudged his best friend.

"I am putting my faith in you to not let me meet my doom by jumping out of this plane. Don't make me regret it, Z," warned Josh before jumping. Allie and Zach jumped after him, followed by Jacob, Leah, Rosalie, Emmett, Seth, and Kaya. The wind thrashed around them as they plummeted toward the earth. Zach spun around so that he was floating through the air on his back and focused on Josh, Seth, Leah, and Jacob. His force field engulfed them as they got closer to the ground and he stopped them in midair as he and the others landed on their feet. Emmett chuckled as his son used his force field to slowly lower Josh to the ground, followed by Seth, Leah, and Jacob.

"Good job, baby boy. Now let's go find this chameleon. Be careful and call us if you need us," said Emmett and Zach smiled at his parents.

"I will, don't worry so much."

"Always," replied Rosalie before heading into town with Emmett. Seth, Leah, and Jacob phased into wolf form and followed Kaya toward Genoa as well, but Zach frowned in confusion when his mate did not budge. Josh took off his jacket, but Allie shook her head.

"Don't phase. We aren't heading into town just yet," said Allie and Josh slowly nodded.

"Okay, then where are we headed," asked Josh. Allie was silent as she surveyed the area. They were in a field a mile outside of Genoa and she could hear the guards and rest of the family entering the city.

"Gavin, can you hear me," she asked into the hood of her jacket.

"Loud and clear, is this déjà vu? What's up?"

"Maybe it is. Will you check the maps of Genoa? What type of sewage system is it, how advanced?" Zach smiled as he caught on.

"You think she is underground like before," he stated and she nodded as she looked around.

"Not by air, not by street," she whispered as she continued to survey the area.

"Allie, I may have something. Everything about the city is old school, especially the sewage systems, but the most interesting thing is that Genoa has several tombs, some of the most famous in the world," informed Gavin.

"She wouldn't choose a tomb that gets a lot of attention," said Allie.

"What about a deserted catacomb two miles west of your location? It was closed over a century ago," reported Gavin.

"Sounds like the perfect hiding place," said Zach, but Josh shook his head frantically.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I am not going into a catacomb. Do you know what a catacomb is? I am not going into an underground cemetery! I don't even want to go in a regular cemetery, let alone…."

"That is fine. You wouldn't fit in wolf form anyways. You can be the lookout," said Allie and Josh guffawed.

"I am not a lookout. I am an alpha. Besides, who died and left you in charge? I am my own man."

"You take orders from Zach all the time," argued Allie and Josh scoffed.

"I do not and if I do listen to him, it is because he actually makes sense and doesn't send me into places where people bury their dead!"

"You don't even have to go in. Stay outside and check around the area," instructed Allie, but Josh crossed his arms defiantly.

"I don't take orders from you. I barely take orders from my dad and he is the alpha of our pack. You are just a newborn. If anything, you should be taking orders from me."

"In what world," argued Allie and Zach groaned.

"Can we please not do this right now," whined Zach and Josh smirked.

"Then tell your mate to cool her jets. I don't take orders from her. I don't take orders from anybody. I am no one's sidekick! Now, with that out of the way, Z, what should we do," asked Josh and Allie rolled her eyes.

"Unbelievable," grumbled Allie. Zach thought for a moment and nodded.

"I think we should check out the catacombs, but you should run surveillance while Allie and I take a quick look. If it comes up empty, we will move on," instructed Zach and Josh nodded.

"Okay, sounds good," agreed Josh before taking off his shirt.

"I just said the same…you know what, whatever. I can't believe my dad has to do this every time he wants to phase," she said mostly to herself as she turned around and closed her eyes.

"He does if he doesn't want to ruin his clothes," said Josh as he put his clothes in a backpack and handed it to Zach. Josh phased into wolf form and Zach put on the backpack.

"Let's check this place out and then head into town," suggested Zach. Allie and Josh followed him toward the shore and noticed a set of cobblestone stairs leading to a barred gate. Zach picked up the broken pieces of a lock and chain and handed them to Allie.

"Mom, dad, we think we found something, but aren't sure. We will check it out and let you know," whispered Zach into his hood.

"I think she is in there. I hear something," whispered Allie.

"Me too, J, stay out here. Give us a couple of minutes and then change back if we don't come out. I will leave the backpack out here. Tell our family to head this way if you don't hear from us. We don't know how deep this thing runs," whispered Zach and Josh nodded. Allie and Zach darted into the catacomb. It was dank from its closeness to the sea and pitch black. They headed down a long, narrow tunnel, but stopped when they saw candlelight around the corner. Zach pulled Allie behind him as they crept down a set of stairs and around the corner. There were piles of money, a computer, and other devices scattered in the small room. Allie picked up the computer.

"This is a blueprint. It is the headquarters for the Ministry of Defense for the Iranian government," whispered Allie.

"Sure is," called a voice behind them and they spun around just in time to be sprayed with a cloud of chemicals from a fire extinguisher. Zach wiped his eyes as the haze of materials dissipated in the air.

"Allie, are you okay," he asked as he turned to his mate, but his eyes widened when he saw two of her standing side by side. He blinked several times as they both answered.

"I am fine," they said in unison and one of them jumped.

"What the hell? Zach, grab her," yelled Allie, but the other shook her head profusely.

"Zach, it is me. She is trying to trick you. Grab her," yelled the other one and Zach gulped as he tried to decipher which one was his mate. They were physically identical in every way.

"Allie, I don't know which one to blast," he confessed and one of them nodded.

"I know she looks like me, but she can't smell like me. You know my scent. That is how I figured out that she wasn't you last night. Focus on my scent," instructed one of them and he sighed in relief when the scent of his mate steered him toward her. She smiled smugly as she turned to the other vampire.

"Nice try," said Allie before backhanding the woman. The vampire staggered back from the force and crashed into the stone wall. She slid down with a thud and laughed bitterly as she morphed into another woman. Allie eyed her carefully. She was surprised to see that her eyes were golden brown instead of red. The long, thick brown curls of her hair framed her high cheek bones, full lips, and complimented the light chestnut brown of her impeccable complexion. She was wearing plain, black clothes and gloves.

"This is actually you," stated Allie more than asked and the vampire smirked.

"If you think I am going to be one of Aro's toys, then you are wrong. You will never get me out of here alive. I rather die than be part of his world. If you are going to kill me, then kill me," taunted the vampire.

"Where are the codes," asked Allie.

"What codes?"

"Don't play dumb, we know you have them," yelled Allie and Zach used his force field to stand the woman up.

"We have been tracking you. We know you accessed nuclear warheads in the United States, Russia, and North Korea and it looks like you were headed to Iran next. We aren't going to let you destroy the world," said Zach and the woman shook her head in disbelief.

"Really, you are here to stop me from blowing up the world? Of course my death would come laced with irony," grumbled the woman.

"What are you talking about," asked Allie.

"It doesn't matter. You are here to do Aro's bidding, so do it. I am not going to let him collect me, so you will have to eliminate me."

"Aro is dead. He has been dead for almost sixteen years," informed Zach.

"Yea right, the new Volturi, sure, I will believe that when I see it," said the woman.

"Well since we are here and you aren't dead yet, that should be an indicator that the new Volturi actually exist. Do you see Aro around," challenged Zach and the woman was silent. Allie looked around the small room.

"It doesn't matter if you believe us or not. We are going to stop your plan either way. You will be eliminated because you are a threat to the entire world, not because of your power. You obviously plan on doing some damage with all this computer equipment," said Allie.

"I am not trying to destroy the world. I am saving it. I didn't access the codes to set the warheads off. I hacked the systems to dismantle the weapons, but I couldn't do it remotely. I tried, but I had to actually be there."

"There were no reports of any weapons being dismantled," said Zach and the woman smiled smugly.

"That is because I didn't tamper with them. I tampered with the codes. I accessed the system so that I could wipe out the codes and shut down the system altogether. I knew I would have to create a security breach in order for the codes to be changed. It is the protocol for the systems. If there is a breach, all codes are changed within minutes with a system update and when they changed them, I just made sure to input a code they could never retrieve. Only I have the code and once I input them, along with a nasty virus, all their commands will be erased. The nuclear warheads are untouchable, not even I could get close to them, but they are virtually useless without the system to control them. I was going to attack all the systems at once with the virus after I finished wiping out the codes from all known nations that use them," she confessed.

"Which is why you were heading to Iran, but why go through all of this? You risked exposure for us and yourself. If you thought Aro was after you, why not just hide?"

"Aro's insanity doesn't matter if the humans blow us all up in the process. I may not keep tabs on the vampire world very much, but I know the human world and it is volatile. They can't be trusted with the technology they have. It is far too advanced for them and their petty skirmishes. Every time they cannot agree on something, they threaten nuclear warfare. I don't know if they can kill us, but I don't want to find out."

"Okay, so let's say we believe you and this was all your way of trying to be a hero. What about the money you stole from the banks," questioned Zach.

"Those banks took the money from the people. I am giving it back."

"Yea right," muttered Allie.

"Does it look like I am living in style? The money wasn't for me. I give it to foster homes, orphanages, and people that can be trusted to use it right." Allie slowly nodded as realization dawned on her.

"You were an orphan, you want to give back to those that helped you," said Allie and the woman glared at her.

"How did you know that?"

"It was in Aro's journal. I read it on the way here. Marcus and Didyme, the new rulers, kept Aro's journals after he died. I know that you lived in fear for years because he vowed to never stop looking for you, but he is dead now. Marcus and Didyme don't care about your power. They just want to stop you from exposing our world or destroying it," said Allie.

"I don't believe you. This is a trap and he will never have me. I rather die than be with that monster," shouted the woman before lunging at Allie. Zach hurled her back into the wall with his force field as Josh ran into the small room.

"Whoa, what did I miss," chuckled Josh and Zach rolled his eyes at his friend.

"What are you doing down here? I told you to wait outside!"

"And I told you I don't take orders from anyone! Besides, I already called our parents. You were taking too long and I got worried, so I came to look for you," admitted Josh.

"What exactly did you plan to do if you came across the vampire? You aren't exactly a formidable opponent when you haven't phased," questioned Allie.

"You worry too much, Al. So who is she? Do we know….." Josh lost track of his thoughts as his eyes locked with the woman's and her breath hitched. Zach's eyes widened and his head darted back and forth between his best friend and the woman.

"Oh boy," said Zach and Allie frowned in confusion.

"Do we know what, Josh," asked Allie, but Josh was silent. The woman made it to her feet and Zach chuckled nervously.

"Uh, nayeli, remember when I told you about imprinting," asked Zach and Allie nodded.

"Yes, you said it was weird, unreliable, unstable, and….oh boy," said Allie as Josh stepped closer to the woman. She hissed at him and Zach pulled him back.

"Easy, J, we aren't all exactly on good terms at the moment," reminded Zach and the woman glared at Josh.

"Who are you? What are you doing to me? It will not work. Aro's tricks will not work," shrieked the woman and Allie rolled her eyes.

"Great, now she is back to this whole Aro thing again," grumbled Allie. Josh put his hands up.

"I am not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you, I promise. You can trust me," assured Josh.

"No, you have placed some sort of hex on me. It must be your power. It isn't going to work though!"

"I don't have a power. I can shapeshift, but it works differently from yours. I can only change into a wolf. Any other time, I am just a human with a constant fever."

"A wolf, why would you change into an animal," questioned the woman.

"It is a long story, but we don't have time to talk about it. There are a lot of people coming this way right now and they think you are out to hurt us, so you need to leave," informed Josh, but Allie shook her head.

"Josh, are you crazy? We can't just let her leave! She breaks into government buildings, can expose us, and steals from people. She is the most wanted criminal in the world, we can't just….."

"Allie, please, I know you want to stop her. I did too, but we have to let her go. Please, Al, for me," begged Josh and Allie glanced over at her mate. Zach nodded and she groaned.

"I cannot believe this. Fine, get her out of here. Let her go blow up the world because your wolfy gene says it is okay," grumbled Allie and Josh sighed as he heard the pitter patter of feet drawing near. He grabbed the woman's hand and she gasped at the way her skin felt against his.

"You have to go, now. They are coming for you," said Josh.

"Who are you," she asked.

"There is no time to explain, go," he shouted. She grabbed her computer and darted out of the room. She escaped through the back exit of the catacombs just as Alexander and Lena entered the room.

"Where is she," asked Lena, but the three of them were quiet. Josh stumbled out of the room as the weight of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. Zach and Allie followed him, but were too stunned to say anything. By the time they reached the entrance gate of the catacombs, the rest of their family and several of the guards arrived. Edward gasped as he read Josh's thoughts, but nodded when he pled with him to not say anything yet. Jasper eyed Josh carefully as he felt his emotions. The more Josh thought about the situation, the angrier it made him, and he began to shake.

"Josh, what is wrong," asked Leah as tears filled his eyes and he shook his head.

"I am fine, mom. I just need to go for a run," he managed to get out. Zach reached out for his friend, but Josh jerked away from him.

"J…."

"You can't help me with this Zach. No one can," Josh muttered bitterly before phasing and running away from the group.

"Josh," called Leah, but Jacob held her back before she could phase and run after him.

"Leah, his eyes, did you see his eyes," asked Jacob.

"What are you talking about? What the hell happened in there," shouted Leah, but Zach and Allie were too shocked to speak. Edward walked over to Jacob and nodded.

"Yes, he did," said Edward and Jacob cursed under his breath. Edward turned to Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, and the rest of his family as Alexander and Lena exited the catacombs.

"This situation just got a lot more complicated," whispered Edward and Rosalie groaned, sensing what type of complication her brother meant.

An hour later, the family was back on the island with Alexander, Lena, Marcus, and Didyme. Edward, Zach, and Allie explained what happened in the catacombs and everyone had an array of emotions. While most of the family was shocked and confused, some had stronger feelings than others. Leah was furious. Jacob was resigned. Emmett was amused, but Rosalie was still baffled.

"How can this happen? Isn't there some sort of rhyme or reason to imprinting," asked Rosalie and Jacob smirked as he sat down on the couch in the living room of the mansion.

"None of us know when we will imprint. If we had some sort of manual to this, trust me, we would pass it out to everyone we came into contact with. The truth is that no one knows how or why," explained Jacob as he glanced over at Renesmee.

"We spoke with Gavin on the way here and it seems the woman has gone off the grid completely. We cannot track her and while I know Alexander and Lena are unsure about our decision, Didyme and I have decided to leave the fate of this woman up to you. If she is telling the truth and does not plan on exposing us, then we will let your family deal with this complicated situation," announced Marcus and Rosalie smiled slyly at him.

"In other words, you are going to bow out and let us deal with this mess," said Rosalie and Marcus smiled back at her.

"Bow out gracefully of course," he replied with a bow of his head. Carlisle shook his hand.

"Thank you for being so understanding about all of this and not going after the woman until we have more answers," said Carlisle.

"I feel somewhat responsible, since I am the one that asked for your help in the first place," admitted Marcus. He and Didyme said their goodbyes to the family before leaving with Alexander and Lena. Edward chuckled at their thoughts.

"They have seen many things, but even they are stunned by this. They aren't sure what resolution there may be, but they are hoping for the best for everyone involved," informed Edward as Leah started to pace.

"All I want is my son back. Jake, I can't believe you didn't let me go after him. He needs us right now," said Leah.

"Trust me, Leah. This is not a time when a boy needs his mother. He needs to blow off some steam. He is hurting, but he will come back when he is ready. He is more like me in that way," assured Jacob. Garrett raised his hand.

"I hate to be the pessimistic one in this situation, but can the two of them even be together? He belongs to one of the most powerful families in the supernatural world. She is a wanted criminal that has an amazing power. This has an ultimate good versus ultimate evil vibe and I don't really see how those two mix," said Garrett, but Edward shook his head.

"While Allie is skeptical of her, she does seem to be telling the truth, which means she isn't evil. Her actions are misguided, but it sounds like she wants to keep the world safe in her own way," said Edward.

"By breaking into defense systems," questioned Jasper.

"By keeping those systems at bay," corrected Bella and Leah scoffed.

"I don't care what her plan is. If she really is his imprint, that changes so much. Josh is out there scared and alone and…."

"Actually, Leah, I can see him now," interrupted Alice and Leah ran over to her.

"You can, what is he doing, is he okay, is….."

"Calm down, he is going to be just fine. I may not be able to see his mate…."

"Please do not call her that," groaned Leah and Alice giggled.

"Fine, I may not be able to see this woman, but I have a good feeling about this. Even when my visions are blocked, I can sense things. She isn't dangerous to him," assured Alice and Renesmee nodded in agreement.

"Even if she doesn't understand why, she is going to feel a connection to him now. She won't hurt him. If anything, she will be drawn to him and want answers," explained Renesmee.

"That is how I felt as well," agreed Kaya and Jacob smiled slyly.

"And he will do his best to give them to her. Hopefully, she will listen and not freak out, like my imprint," said Jacob and Renesmee smirked.

"Well since he has never made a move on her mother, I am sure it will be fine," quipped Renesmee and Jacob rolled his eyes. Nahuel cringed.

"Am I the only one that still finds this imprinting thing a bit…what is the word," questioned Nahuel.

"Creepy," tried Garrett.

"Inconvenient," suggested Carmen.

"Warped," recommended Jasper and Nahuel nodded.

"Yes, all of the above and uncomfortable since it happened to my mate," informed Nahuel. Renesmee nudged him and Emmett laughed.

"Hey, at least Josh isn't like his old man. She might be wanted by the greatest powers in the human and vampire world, but at least she isn't fresh out of the womb, am I right," bellowed Emmett and Jacob glared at him. Rosalie tried to hide her smile as Leah groaned.

"Okay enough about imprinting. I want to find my son. Where is he? Is he going after her," asked Leah and Alice smiled sheepishly.

"Not her," she muttered and Edward cleared his throat as he tried not to laugh at Alice's thoughts. Rosalie noticed the way the two of them looked at each other.

"What do you two know," questioned Rosalie and Edward winked at her.

"Just know that Josh will be back soon," assured Edward.

"Damn you and your cryptic messages, where is he going," demanded Leah.

"It isn't my story to tell," said Edward.

"Oh screw that, you will tell me where my son is! Alice, Edward, someone, I don't care who, where is Josh," she shouted and Alice smiled sympathetically at her.

"I know you are going to be upset with us for a while but we really can't tell you. It is a private matter and Josh would want us to keep it that way. You know we would tell you if he was in danger," assured Alice. Leah shook her head and stormed out of the room as Jacob sighed.

"Don't worry about her. She is just upset. I think a part of her didn't want him to imprint. She isn't exactly in love with the notion. I will go talk to her," said Jacob before going after his wife. Zach placed his face in his hands.

"I should have gone with him," mumbled Zach and Allie hugged her mate.

"Josh just needs some time. You heard what they said. He will be back soon and he knows you will be here for him when he needs you," assured Allie. He held his mate and slowly nodded. He wasn't sure how it would all work out, but he hoped that it would.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tesla stepped out onto the balcony of her penthouse suite and gazed out at the starry sky. She was enjoying the peaceful nights in Venice and the ambiance of the city. Suddenly, her senses perked up and she could hear someone drawing near. She hurried to the front door as someone rapped on it incessantly. When she answered, Josh entered without a word, leaving her confused as she looked out into the hallway.

"Josh, what are you doing here? Where is Zach? Is everything alright? Is he hurt?"

"Zach is fine. He has his mate and will get to live happily ever after, unlike me. I am not here to talk about him though. I am here to talk about us," said Josh and she eyed him curiously as she closed the door. He was pacing back and forth like a trapped animal and only wearing a pair of swim trunks.

"Where have you been and where are the rest of your clothes?"

"I destroyed them when I phased, but I didn't care. I had to get out of there. I took these off a back porch on the way here. Petty theft is the least of my worries right now."

"Okay, what is going on," she questioned and he smiled as he gazed into her eyes. He took in a deep breath and slipped his hands into hers.

"What's going on is that I want to talk about us. Tess, it doesn't have to be an imprint. My parents didn't imprint and they love each other. They overcame all of that stupid wolf stuff and so can we," he said as he played with a strand of her hair. She took a step away from him.

"Josh, you aren't making sense right now. What are you talking about?"

"I don't want her. I don't love her. I can't. She is wanted by the entire world, nothing but a criminal, and I should get to choose who I love!"

"Who is wanted by the entire world? If I couldn't smell it on you, I would have thought you were drunk. Josh, calm down and just tell me what is going on," she implored and he plopped down on the couch as he ran a hand through his hair. He was quiet for a moment and frowned as he began to look around.

"This is a really nice place. I figured as much though when you mentioned it being your favorite place to stay when you are in Italy. I was hoping you would still be here. Did you manipulate someone into letting you stay here?"

"How I earn a stay in a penthouse suite is my business, especially since your family looks down upon using my natural talents to my advantage. You are trying to change the subject though. What has happened?" He took in a shaky breath as he thought about the past three hours of his life.

"I met someone tonight and I imprinted on her," he confessed and she beamed with happiness as she hugged him.

"That is wonderful! You found your mate," she laughed, but he shook his head as he looked into her eyes to convey his seriousness.

"She is not my mate. She can't be and I don't want her to be."

"Is she not attractive?"

"No…well yes, but that isn't the point! I want you. I choose you like my dad chose my mom. You will be my mate and she will just be someone I know and protect if I have to from time to time, which, since she is a criminal will probably be more often than I want it to, but it doesn't matter. She will not have my heart. You will." Tesla hopped off the couch and shook her head profusely.

"No, no, no, I can't have your heart. Josh, you and I are not meant to be."

"But what about the wedding and the love token?"

"You are a handsome young man and I enjoy your company, but I am not your mate. You are Zach's best friend and I am happy to know you, but…." She paused as he stood up and eyed her suspiciously.

"What does Zach have to do with this," he questioned and she averted her eyes from his.

"I simply mean…."

"Allie was right about you. Zach had a crush on you and you liked that. You like him and that is why you kissed him. Wait, are you in love with him," accused Josh and she scoffed.

"Love is a very strong word. What I feel for Zach is complicated, but he is not my mate and I am not yours either."

"You aren't even trying to be! You and I could be good for each other. I am attracted to you. You are attracted to me. We have fun together, so what is the problem," he asked as he wrapped her in his arms, but she pulled away from him as she looked down with sadness evident in her eyes.

"The problem is that you are right about Zach, somewhat at least. The only people that know this are Edward because he can read my thoughts and Jasper because he knows my emotions. I am sure Alice has her suspicions but I would never act on them, not only because his mother and grandmother would dismember me, but because I want the best for him and that is not me. It never was, even before Allie. I am not his mate, but yes, he does have a very special place in my heart," she confessed.

"You love him, don't you," he asked as rejection washed over him and she sighed.

"It is far more complicated than that. You wouldn't understand. I barely understand and I have walked this earth far much, much longer than you."

"Then explain it to me," he suggested as she gazed out the window.

"Vampires do not change easily, Josh. We become very set in our ways. It takes a lot for us to change, but somehow Zach changed me. He is far too young for me and yet he makes me want to be a better person. I want to be a good person because of him."

"But if you have feelings for him, why are you so accepting of Allie? You seem happy that he found her." Tesla giggled as she turned to face him again.

"The first time I met her, I was a bit jealous….okay a lot jealous. When I found out about her, I wanted to test her. I wanted her to know that I had kissed him, but when I saw how upset he was that she was upset, I didn't want to manipulate the situation anymore. Zach is a good man and he makes people around him want to be good people. I am fond of him. I want what is best for him."

"You love him," stated Josh and she slowly nodded.

"I….I suppose I do, but I gave up on the notion of loving a long time ago."

"You still gave him the love token. That wasn't to help him find his mate was it? It was to help him find you."

"It was to help find love, no matter where it came from. Love can be complicated. When you become as old as me, you will realize that. Loving someone can mean wanting them to be happy, even if their happiness does not stem from you. He sees me as a friend and I am happy to be that for him because it is what he wants. Whatever I can be to make him happy is what I will be."

"You imprinted on him," said Josh with a chuckle and she frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"A lot of times, imprinting is tied to the notion of love, but in reality, it can be anything the person needs it to be. With my imprint, the truth is, even though I am terrified right now, I will be whatever she needs me to be, her protector, her friend, a shoulder to cry on…."

"Or her mate," she added and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Yea, I guess so."

"Then you need to go see what she wants you to be. You should be with her, not me."

"You know, the moment I saw her, I knew. It is crazy because I thought my family and Z were just exaggerating, but it is true. It is like a shift inside of me. Nothing else mattered in that moment but making sure she was safe. I would do anything for her and I hate that. I hate that she has this control over me and I don't even know her name. What if this ends badly, Tess? Every time I think I have found my mate, it ends badly. What if I see her again and find out she wants nothing to do with me?" Tesla smiled knowingly at him as she cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch.

"So that is why you are running. You are afraid she will not choose you as her mate. You are afraid she will choose you as her protector, friend or…."

"None of the above," he admitted.

"Josh, I knew from the start that I could never be what Zach needed. It wasn't just about the age or my reputation with his family. I knew I was emotionally unavailable and even though he has warmed my heart, he deserves much better than me. He found that in Allie. You deserve much better as well. If this woman is ridiculous enough to reject you, it truly does mean she is the one that is not worthy."

"I can't have my heart broken like that again. Can't I just stay here with you instead," he asked hopefully, but she shook her head.

"I am sorry to have to do this, but it is for the best," she admitted as she gave him a hug.

"What are you going to…."

"Stop," she whispered in his ear and he was silent as he fell into a trance.

"Josh, you are going to go back to the villas, relax, eat, spend time with your family, and then get some sleep. Tomorrow, you will go to her. You will find her and show her who you are, offer your heart to her, and if she refuses it, you will not waste one tear on her. You will offer her your heart and if she does not want it, you will go find the woman that does. Those are your orders. Now go," she whispered and he turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Wait, there is one more thing. You will not remember anything I said about Zach and will no longer desire me as a mate. You see me as a good friend that will always be there for you, but nothing more. Now, go," she ordered and he departed without a word. She sighed in relief and walked back onto the balcony to gaze back out at the stars. She smirked when her phone rang and she answered.

"For a psychic, you sure are behind. Josh was already here and I already turned him away," assured Tesla and Alice giggled.

"I know you did and before you ask, yes, you did the right thing by using your power to make him come back. I am pleasantly surprised by you, Tess. You really are trying to curb your use of your power for evil. I see you still enjoy the perks of it though. That penthouse looks lovely."

"Yes, well I am a woman of high tastes in life. I think I deserve it after the good work I just did."

"You did well. Thank you for telling him to come back."

"Alice, I am just curious. How much of my conversation with Joshua did you….."

"Your secret is safe with me and it is obviously safe with Edward and Jasper since they never confirmed your feelings to me. I always suspected that you grew fond of my nephew, but I don't blame you. He is one of a kind. He will never hear it from me."

"Good, Zach is happy and that makes me happy. Goodnight, Alice, be sure to let me know when his wedding is."

"Of course I will, goodnight," said Alice before hanging up and Tesla smiled as she saw Josh running through a field in the distance, heading back toward the island.

Leah peered out at the water as she sat on the beach on Isola Marcime. She took in deep breaths to control the anger boiling inside of her and Rosalie sat down beside her with a sympathetic smile.

"Hey," said Rosalie.

"Did Jake send you out here to talk to me? I kind of snapped at him when he tried to calm me down."

"No, he actually told me to let you cool down, but I figured I have fought in vampire wars and just tried to track down a vampire that could have nuclear codes, so I could handle your blowups," she assured and Leah smirked.

"Yea, a vampire that apparently now my son has imprinted on, I can't believe this is happening."

"Can't you," asked Rosalie and Leah frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean come on, Leah. Callista, Tesla, Senna, Kachiri, Annike, and Inger, Josh has always been attracted to vampire women. Is it really a surprise that his mate…."

"Can we not call her that," growled Leah.

"Fine, his….gorilla…just so happens to be a vampire, is that really out of the realm of possibilities in your mind?"

"I don't know. I guess a part of me always figured as much, but I always held out hope."

"Hope for what?"

"For him to have a normal life, you know, a house with a loving wife, kids…."

"Oh don't tell me we are back on the normal life thing. Leah, give it up already. Look around you. We are sitting on an island in Italy that happens to belong to the rulers of the vampire world, the same rulers that asked for our help to find the most wanted criminal in the world. Our lives are not normal. They have never been normal and Josh is not normal."

"I know, but if he would have imprinted on a human girl, maybe he would have had a chance to be normal. Think about it, Rose. Josh doesn't have to be supernatural. We can stop phasing whenever we want and eventually start aging again. He could have had a human wife and given this up for her."

"Yes, he could have. He could have given up his best friend, the adventures, the avalanches, the people that love him like a son. He could have given that up, but I am selfish, so I am happy that he didn't. I can't imagine losing Josh, losing a son, so yes, I am now officially relieved that a pesky vampire came along and he imprinted. At least now that means he is stuck with us and so are you," confessed Rosalie and Leah quickly wiped the tear that streamed down her cheek.

"When you put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad."

"It isn't and I know none of us expected this to happen, especially like this, but it is going to be okay. If my son can fall in love with the daughter of an alpha who just so happened to be a human that was dating a wolf at the time, I think we can survive this," assured Rosalie and Leah sighed.

"You are right. We can," agreed Leah. The two of them sat in silence for a while as they watched the sun rise over the sea. Rosalie let out a giggle.

"What," asked Leah and Rosalie smiled smugly at her.

"I totally made you cry," teased Rosalie and Leah laughed as she nudged her.

"Shut up, you did not!"

"I did, but it is okay. It is a great speech. I would have cried too," teased Rosalie and Leah rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she mumbled and Rosalie giggled even more. They heard footsteps behind them and turned to see Jacob jogging over to them with a smile.

"He is back," said Jacob and Leah sighed in relief.

Allie slipped on her robe as she stepped out of the shower. She could hear her mate in the bedroom and dried her hair with a towel before joining him on the bed. Zach was staring at the fireplace, lost in deep thought, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Josh will be back soon," she assured and he nodded with a smile.

"I know. He is actually here already. My Aunt Alice just told me, but his mom is yelling at him about taking off like that, so I think I will stay here until she calms down. Leah scares me sometimes."

"If Josh is back, then why do you look so worried?"

"Because we don't know this woman he imprinted on. Allie, wolves have to do whatever their imprint wants. What if she wants him to do something bad or what if she doesn't want him around us?"

"Well, you will use your force field to kidnap Josh and I will get to do what I have wanted to do since she morphed into you and kick her butt. It will be fun," she teased and his booming laugh echoed around them.

"I don't think Josh would like that."

"He would get over it."

"It is weird. Nothing has happened the way Josh and I thought it would. We both thought we would be ecstatic the moment we found our mates and throw this huge party, but both of us were mortified when it actually happened." He laughed as she punched his shoulder.

"Hey, Cullen, I am sitting right here!"

"You were dating Drew and happened to be the daughter of the alpha of your tribe, an alpha that wanted you nowhere near the supernatural. Trust me, I understand why Josh is freaking out right now. Neither of us thought finding our mates would be so complicated."

"But it worked out with you and me, so that's a good thing," she said as he pulled her into his lap.

"It definitely worked out. I just hope it works out for him. I think I get it now, why he was so nervous about my friendship with him after I met you. I don't want things to change between us. He is my best friend."

"You and Josh are like brothers and no one can come between that. If she tries, she can deal with me. I would be more than happy to put her in her place."

"Thanks, nayeli, I love you. I can't imagine my life without you," he whispered before kissing her. She tenderly kissed him back and smiled as she gazed into his eyes.

"October 1," she whispered back.

"What," he questioned and she smiled even more as she played with the curls at the nape of his neck.

"You told me to set a date. The date of our wedding will be October 1. That gives Alice time to plan, but not too much time to go overboard and hopefully Josh and this woman will have things worked out by then," she explained. His dimples were on full display as he beamed with happiness.

"Really, October 1," he asked and she happily nodded.

"October 1," she stated, but they groaned when they heard Alice run into their villa. Zach dramatically fell back onto the pillows of the bed as Alice marched into their bedroom.

"Really, Allie, October 1, that gives me virtually no time to plan! There are flowers and dresses and food for the humans and invitations to make and…."

"Aunt Alice, please I beg of you, as your nephew that you love with all of your heart, please do not turn into a wedding nazi and make this stressful on us. We already have to deal with a vampire that Josh just imprinted on…."

"Who also may be lying and still want to blow up the world," added Allie and Zach chuckled.

"Right, so we have a lot on our plate right now. We have to deal with this, but we want to get married as soon as possible as well, so please embrace an autumn wedding and don't make this any more complicated than our lives already are at the moment," begged Zach and Alice tapped her chin as she thought about it.

"Fine, I will not complain. I am just happy you finally set a date. It is about time, by the way. Lucky for you, Asa already showed me your wedding and I started making plans based on that months ago, so I am already off to a great start. This is going to be wonderful," exclaimed Alice as she clapped happily and Josh entered the room with a smile.

"Hey, glad to see you are happy I am back," said Josh as he hugged Alice and she scoffed.

"Oh please, you weren't going anywhere for long. It has been three hours, don't be so dramatic. I am mad at you for ruining your outfit though. I loved that outfit on you and that Volturi jacket was state of the art. Just because your mate turned out to be some vampire woman that we were tracking like a fugitive doesn't give you the right to ruin your wardrobe," scolded Alice and he chuckled.

"I am sorry, Alice," he said as he hugged her again.

"You should be, especially for a certain path that you tried to take earlier in Venice. Really, Josh," she asked and he smiled sheepishly.

"Can we call it temporary insanity," he asked.

"We'll call it the wolf gene," she replied and he nodded.

"Fair enough," he agreed as she skipped out of the villa. He hopped on Zach and Allie's bed and she rolled her eyes as he got comfortable on one of the pillows.

"Good to see your meltdown is over and you are back to invading our personal space," said Allie and Josh stuck his tongue out at her.

"You do seem better, J. Are you okay," asked Zach and Josh shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but I don't feel as panicked. I need to find her and figure some things out, but for now, I am just happy to be back here. I need to get some sleep, but first I wanted to tell you I was back."

"I could hear your mom yelling at you from all the way over here," he teased and Josh cringed.

"Yea, that was bad, but at least I'm not grounded. She wanted to lock me up and throw away the key, but my dad talked her out of it. I think he gets it since he imprinted on Renesmee. I better get back. I don't want my mom to freak out again. After I get some sleep, you two want to play some video games?"

"Yea sure, we would like that," said Allie and Josh winked at them as he hopped up.

"Good, see you later," he said and Zach smiled as Josh left.

"I think he is really going to be okay," said Zach and Allie rested her head on his chest.

"I hope so. I still don't like his mate," she grumbled.

"Why do I have a feeling that before this is over, you are going to attack her like you did Callista?"

"I didn't attack Callista. I simply questioned her motives and proceeded to defend myself when she didn't like my line of questioning," she informed and he chuckled as he held his mate in his arms, relieved that his best friend was back.

After spending time with his family and friends, Josh finally got some sleep. The wolf was tired after all of the stress and his adventures in Italy. He managed to sleep well past noon and only woke up when he felt someone shaking his shoulder.

"Okay, enough sleep already, I think I have been quite patient. Wake up, Josh, it is time," urged Alice and he groaned as he sat up in bed. She giggled and fixed his messy hair.

"Alice, what are you doing," he asked as she started sifting through his suitcases and placed an outfit on his bed.

"It is time to get dressed and go meet your mate." His eyes widened and he quickly scrambled out of bed.

"Wait, you have seen her? You know where she is? I planned on going to search for her today anyways….why do I feel this sudden urge to search for her anyways? I should be terrified, but I'm not. Either she loves me for me or she doesn't. Uh, that must be the imprint thing," he mumbled and Alice snickered.

"Yes, that's it, the imprint thing, nothing or no one else but that. Anyways, I still can't see her, but like I said, I can see what path you have to take to disappear from my visions and I know that you need to go to the mainland, so go shower and get going," she instructed. He ran into the bathroom and she skipped out of his room with a smile. She groaned when she saw Leah in the living room with an irritated scowl on her face.

"Before you say anything, I know we don't know who this woman is, but that is why he needs to meet her. No, I can't see her, but I do have a good feeling about this. He isn't in danger and the Volturi have already agreed to postpone any questions they may have for her until Josh figures this out. They meant what they said. As long as she isn't a threat, they are fine with her," explained Alice and Leah gave a curt nod.

"I just hope you know what you are doing." Alice planted her hands on her hips.

"Don't you take that tone with me, Leah Black! I love your son and will always do what is best for him. I am tired of people questioning me. I know what is best. I always know what is best! Now, go spend time with your husband. You have been grumpy since last night and making things tense around here. Go for swim and relax, shoo, go," ordered Alice as she pushed Leah out of the villa.

"But, Alice, I…."

"Nope, not listening, shoo," demanded Alice and Leah rolled her eyes, but headed toward the beach where Jacob was surfing. Alice smiled as she watched Jacob run over to Leah and hug her. Jasper wrapped his arms around his mate and she kissed him sweetly.

"No one orders someone to have fun like you do, darlin'," he teased and she winked at him.

"I have had years of practice," she teased back.

By the time Josh anchored in the marina of Porto Rotondo, he was a ball of nerves. His stomach rumbled out of hunger, so he decided to postpone the inevitable and stop at a bistro for lunch. As he headed toward a small café he visited before in the square, his senses perked up and a scent washed over him. He detected a vampire in the vicinity and followed the scent to a table outside the bistro. His breath hitched when he saw her there, typing rapidly on her computer, and she stopped when she sensed his presence. She took in a shaky breath when he sat down at the table and the two of them openly stared at each other in silence for several minutes before she had the courage to speak.

"I was halfway to Iran before I realized I needed to turn back around. I still think you are working some type of voodoo on me and that is why I feel the need to see you, but you did save me from the Volturi. I wanted to thank you for that. What is your name," she asked and his eyes widened in shock.

"You don't know who I am?"

"Am I supposed to?"

"Yea…well no….I guess I am just surprised. In your world, I am known as Josh Black, Zach McCarty Cullen's best friend."

"I don't know who Zach McCarty Cullen is. Then too, I don't keep up with the happenings in my world that much. The last I heard, Aro was gone and there were new rulers, but I thought that was too good to be true. Obviously, I am a bit behind on things. I keep to myself. Is Zach one of the mates from last night?"

"Yea, he is my best friend and Allie is his mate. I am surprised you haven't heard of him. It seems like everyone in your world has."

"Well not me, so you are a shapeshifter, like me?"

"Yes, but I only turn into a wolf. My tribe, the Quileute Tribe in Washington State, phases into wolves. It is part of our heritage," he whispered.

"That is some heritage."

"Yes and there is more to it than that. It is the reason you and I feel connected to each other. It is long, drawn out, and really complicated, but before I tell you all of that, there is something I want you to know. I don't know who you are, but you are safe with me. No one is going to hurt you and if you really aren't trying to bring the end of the world, then I promise you have nothing to fear. I just want to get to know you, if that is okay." She closed her computer and surveyed him quizzically before nodding.

"Well, Josh Black from Washington State, I am Natalie. I was born in Morocco, but grew up in Genoa. I have not had a true home for a very long time though." He slipped his hand into hers and she gasped at the sensation that spread through her from his touch. He let himself fully gaze at her for the first time, allowing himself to embrace the idea of their connection instead of fight it. He noticed how beautiful she truly was, the fullness of her lips, her tall, slender frame, the way reddish brown strands of hair wove intricately in with the dark brown of her curls. His eyes locked on hers again and he smiled charmingly.

"Hello, Natalie, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Finally," she questioned as she found herself leaning toward him and he nodded.

"I didn't expect for it to be you, but I have been searching for you for a while now." The smile that crept onto her lips left him speechless and he sighed happily. In that moment, he knew exactly what his family and best friend meant. Josh never put much emphasis on the idea of imprinting in his life, but in that moment, he realized how powerful it truly was.

AN: The end….for now! I hope you enjoyed and feel free to let me know what you think. By the way, I have gotten a lot of reviews and messages about people liking Callista, so here is a question for you. Which character do you like more, Callista or Tess? Let me know in your reviews or messages and until next time, love, peace, and Twilight!

~Emmettroselover


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